New 750-place school gets go-ahead for West Bromwich

A new 750-place secondary school in West Bromwich has been given the go-ahead.

West Bromwich Collegiate Academy will be built on land off Kelvin Way after proposals were approved by members of Sandwell Council at a meeting on Tuesday.

Work on the school is set to begin within weeks, with its first 150 Year 7 pupils starting in September next year when it is scheduled to open.

The news has been hailed by council chiefs who say the arrival of the new school is much-needed, given the growing demand for secondary school places.

Councillor Simon Hackett, cabinet member for children's services, said: “This will be the second new secondary school to open in Sandwell in the last 10 years – following on from the successful Q3 Academy Langley in Oldbury, which opened in 2016.

“This is a much-needed school in West Bromwich where it is expected there will be increasing demand for secondary school places in the next few years.”

The new academy will be run by Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, which runs a number of schools including Shireland Collegiate Academy in Smethwick – which Ofsted graded as ‘outstanding’ in 2013.

Its approval comes as part of a £10.8 million plan to increase the number of places for pupils in the borough, which is predicted to need an extra 3,500 by 2025 due to an increasing population.

Chief Executive of the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, Sir Mark Grundy, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been asked to work with Sandwell Council on the development of this new school.

“The development of the West Bromwich Collegiate Academy will allow us to establish a high-quality level of provision for the families and the community.”

Parents will be able to apply for places at the new academy from tomorrow.