Reception places available at new technology school in Wolverhampton
A new technology primary school currently under construction in Wolverhampton is inviting parents to come along to two public information days over the next few weeks, when they will be able to enquire about booking reception places ready for its opening in September 2024.
The state-of-the-art Wednesfield Technology Primary is being built on the site of the 112-year-old former Edward the Elder School on Lichfield Road, which was bulldozed in June last year.
Open events will be held at St Thomas’ Centre in Church Street, Wednesfield, on Tuesday October 24 from 4.30-6.30pm, and on Thursday November 16 between 10am and 12noon. Reception places can be booked in advance through the local authority from Thursday November 9.
When the school opens in September 2024, it will only have nursery reception classes. As the year groups move up through the school, a new reception class will be taken on every year until the school is full in 2030. It will have 60 places in reception and 52 places in the nursery. At capacity, the facility will provide teaching spaces for 26 nursery children, 60 reception, 120 key stage 1 and 240 key stage 2.
In a report to the council, Tom Hallett, acting on behalf of Birmingham-based developers Tilbury Douglas Construction Ltd, said: “The site has been in educational use for over 100 years, although the school had been left empty and in a derelict state since 2007.
“The new school is a member of the Shireland Academy Trust, which already operates several schools in the West Midlands. It has been designed to inspire new ways of teaching, offering a specialised technology-based curriculum.
“This development will deliver a range of benefits and has already created new jobs during the current construction phase. The future occupation of the school will also bring about up to 45 full and part-time positions.
“The retention of the former lodge building in the grounds will maintain an important link to the history of the site and will be used by the school as a family hub. Additional landscape planting to enhance the site will also provide diversity and ecology value,” he added.
“And of course this sees the redevelopment of a long-standing vacant brownfield site within a sustainable location ideally placed to serve the growing needs of the community. The parking layout has been reconfigured to allow for a one-way circulation of cars around the parking area, along with the provision of a dedicated drop off and collection point.
“This will enable cars queuing to drop-off and pick-up in a very orderly manner within the site – and at peak times. The number of parking spaces has also been increased and CCTV will be installed. Financial contributions in the form of a pedestrian crossing and the reinstatement of the ‘keep clear’ markings outside the school will also be added.”
The new building will incorporate a two-storey block with a single level for the hall and kitchen. The design is Passivhaus – meaning it will achieve a very high level of energy efficiency.
Although not listed, the landmark former Edward the Elder primary – previously one of the city’s oldest school buildings – dated back to 1910. The original date stone has been carefully preserved and stored on the site and will be repositioned adjacent to the new entrance prior to its opening.
