Brinsworth Academy: Plans to expand ‘successful and popular’ Rotherham school approved by cabinet

Brinsworth Academy has been granted permission to expand to accommodate 1,637 pupils as council bosses try to cope with growing demand for secondary school places.

A report to RMBC’s cabinet states that the school is ‘currently oversubscribed and the trend is set to continue in future years’, and a higher number of pupils are expected to apply for places following the opening of the new Waverley Junior Academy in September 2020.

Approval has been granted to allocate £1.7m in Department of Education funding to increase the school by 150 places – 30 per year group.

A number of concerns raised during the consultation have been addressed in the report, including lack of space at lunchtimes, extra staff parking, school transport, and extra pupils for ‘existing staff to deal with’.

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An ‘additional building’ will be designed to incorporate additional work and welfare facilities, and staff parking will be ‘considered by Planning Board as part of the planning application process’.

‘Timetabling adjustments’ have been made to address concerns regarding space at mealtimes, and extra staff will additional staff will be employed.

The report adds that a ‘build programme’ is expected to begin in November 2022, subject to planning approval.

Additional pupils will be accepted from September 2023, and the design and planning process will begin next month.

Councillor Victoria Cusworth, cabinet member for children and young people told today’s meeting that he report was brought to cabinet in 2016, and the school had been identified as a school ‘in need of alterations in future to meet longer term demand’.