Former Coseley School to be replaced by new £6 million primary
A £6 million new primary school for 400 pupils will be built on the former Coseley School site with plans to open next year.
The former secondary controversially shut its doors this summer due to dwindling numbers with pupils shifted out to neighbouring schools.
Now it has emerged that the empty 1960s building will be transformed into Coseley Technology Primary.
Council bosses say that the free primary school in Henne Drive will open to 60 reception and Year 1 pupils in September 2018, under proposals agreed by the DfE.
The existing school buildings will be leased to the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust for two years while building work begins on the site.
The Trust also took over Thorns Community College in Quarry Bank this year. It comes as plans for its first phase of development are going to Dudley Council’s cabinet this month.
Councillor Anne Millward, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This is an exciting new venture for Coseley, which will make the most of the existing school site, while providing a much needed primary school for the area.
“We have already established a strong, productive working relationship with the Shireland’s team when they took over the running of Thorns Community College in 2017 and we look forward to working with them on this ambitious new project.”
Officials say they are ‘continuing discussions’ with a range of partners about the next phase of development of the site, which would provide new secondary school places as the number of secondary age students in the borough starts to increase.
The new free school will be part of the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, which already runs schools across the region.
Once the new school building has been built, the Trust will enter into a 125 year lease for the land. Sir Mark Grundy, executive principal at Shireland Collegiate Academy, said: “It is a great opportunity to be asked to open a Primary Free School in the Coseley area.”
Applications should be made to coseleytechnologyprimary.org.uk
