More than 200 places to be created at in-demand school on new Waverley Estate

Waverley Junior Academy opened in September 2020 after the new housing development was built at the former Orgreave Colliery and Coking Works between Handsworth and Catcliffe.

Parents expressed their anger after demand for places left 27 youngsters without a school place last year.

Parents who thought they would be able to walk their children to school when they bought their new houses had to send them to schools further away from their homes, and organised themselves into a group to campaign on the issue.

Now, Rotherham Council says section 106 funding is set to be released by developer Harworth, to extend Waverley Junior Academy and create 210 extra places.

Section 106 funding comes from a legal agreement between councils and developers to provide funds for the infrastructure needed for their projects to go ahead.

The council say that demand for school places at the school ‘has far exceeded the government formula and the pupil yield rate for the borough’ – a trend which is expected to continue.

Although youngsters have been found places at other schools in the area, the council say this option will be exhausted by 2024, and Waverley Estate should be extended.

The threshold of homes occupied – 1,500 – has now been met, triggering the release of £3.13m from the developer to fund the school.

The estimated cost of the expansion is £2.9m.

A planning application for the new school is expected by January 2024, with the project to be completed by August 2025.

A report to RMBC’s cabinet states: “The s106 agreement indicates that Harworth Group will pay on request by the council the sum of £2,945,000 subject to indexation on the occupation of between 1,500 and 1,700 dwellings.

“The threshold has now been reached and the payment is now due.”