Our Cabinet Member for Education Councillor Alex Dale (second left) plants a tree to celebrate the start and progress of work on Clover Leys Spencer Academy with (from left) Spencer Academies Trust CEO Paul West, Concertus Associate Director Paul Cockayne, Morgan Sindall Framework Director Jon Archer, South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler and school Headteacher Rebecca Chapman.
Clover Leys Spencer Academy, at Boulton Moor in south Derbyshire, will provide additional school places needed for families moving into extensive new housing developments alongside Snelsmoor Lane and Chellaston Lane.
The new school, which will provide 210 primary spaces for children aged 4 to 11, has been designed by our design and build consultancy partner Concertus and is being built by Morgan Sindall Construction. It will be run by the Spencer Academies Trust.
Our Cabinet Member for Education Councillor Alex Dale, who attended the ceremony on Friday 10 May, said:
“This is a key moment in the school’s construction and we’re delighted to join together with our partner organisations and teaching staff to celebrate progress with the development.
“We’ve overcome some significant hurdles to get to this point and it’s taken a lot longer than we’d originally envisaged so we’re extremely grateful to parents, the school and the trust for their patience while we’ve worked through the issues.
“I’d also like to thank everyone for their hard work towards the progress we can now see in building this fantastic new school, which I know will be enjoyed and bring so many benefits to pupils, their teachers, families and the wider community for generations to come.
“We’re committed to giving Derbyshire children the best possible start in life and our significant investment in providing them with high-quality education in this modern, innovative and exciting new building is part of that ambition.”
The new primary school, in Woodsford Drive, Boulton Moor, will feature:
- a reception stage classroom
- 2 infant classrooms
- 4 junior classrooms
- 2 large and 2 small group teaching areas
- library
- multi-use hall
- studio space
- catering kitchen
- offices and staff facilities
- an outdoor classroom and educational garden areas
- early years outdoor play area
- outdoor hard surfaced play areas, all-weather multi-use games area (MUGA) and grass sports pitch
- eco-friendly heating and natural ventilation system throughout for optimum energy efficiency and comfort
- full fire safety sprinkler system.
Councillor Dale was joined at the ceremony by representatives from our school development team, Clover Leys Spencer Academy Headteacher Rebecca Chapman and teaching colleagues, South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler and representatives from Concertus, Morgan Sindall Construction and the Spencer Academies Trust.
Headteacher Rebecca Chapman said:
“Our current early years, year 1 and year 2 pupils are eagerly awaiting the September start in their brand-new building on Boulton Moor.
“We know that the move into the Clover Leys building will unite the Boulton Moor community with our school, helping children to make links and partnerships with their neighbourhood.
“Our strong school values of friendship and respect will continue to strengthen and thrive as the Boulton Moor children find a sense of their belonging and society within our new school.”
We worked with Morgan Sindall to set up a temporary learning village on the site of nearby Chellaston Academy while the new school is built to minimise disruption to lessons and reduce pressure on other local schools.
The site for the new school has been chosen for the space it allows for the building to be expanded to a two-form entry school should the need arise from future housing developments.
Operations Director at Concertus Design and Property Consultants Tom Marshall said:
"Creating the new 210-place primary school at Clover Leys Academy represents further development of a thriving area in Boulton Moor.
“This school ensures that every child in the community has the opportunity to blossom into their fullest potential. We look forward to working with Derbyshire County Council and Morgan Sindall and building a school that everybody can be proud of for years to come."
Area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands Richard Fielding said the company was ‘proud to be part of Derbyshire County Council's vision for educational development in the area’.
He said:
“Through our collaboration with Concertus and other partners, we are committed to delivering high-quality facilities like Clover Leys Spencer Academy that support the county council's strategic plan.
“It has been a privilege to continue our collaboration with the Spencer Academies Trust and to work with Derbyshire County Council and the existing school community to ensure minimal disruption while carrying out this brilliant project.”
The £9 million school has been funded by Derbyshire County Council and contributions from developers and is on schedule to open at the start of the September term.