New Worcester Secondary School – Update
Spring 2022 Update
Public Consultation November 2021
Following the results of an engagement survey in Summer 2021, this public consultation provided an opportunity for parents, residents, and young people of Worcester City and surrounding areas to comment on the proposals. The consultation was designed to ensure the vision, design, delivery and expectations of the specification and the design construction of a new school are in line with the hopes and expectations of those directly impacted by the scheme.
238 people responded to the consultation, as well as 55 primary school children who took part in workshops. 90% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that a new secondary school is needed for Worcester. Respondents were asked how they felt about various aspects of the proposal for the delivery of the new school. These included: age range; location; school size; school values; and build principles.
Key findings of the consultation are as follows:
– The majority of respondents supported the proposed age range of 11-16 but those who disagreed wished to see a sixth form included in the new school.
– 83% of respondents agreed with the proposed values of the school, which included a focus on wellbeing, an ethos of inclusivity and a strong behaviour policy. Feedback suggested a greater emphasis on academic achievement should be ensured.
– Whilst most respondents agreed with the proposed location, 31% disagreed due to concerns about the volume of traffic and close proximity to the hospital.
– Respondents were also pleased with the focus on energy-efficient building methods.
These results will be used to finalise the specification and guide future decision making in the delivery of the new school. To view the consultation results in full, please visit: https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/newsecondaryschool
Coming Up
The results from the consultation have helped us to complete the specification requirements for the new school. The next step is to commence the Academy Sponsor Competition to determine the Academy Trust that will run the new school. The competition will ensure that applicants are fully informed in the expectations and requirements for a secondary school in Worcester City and ensure children and young people receive the best education possible.
The competition will open from 14th March to 25th April 2022 and will be tendered in accordance with the Council’s procurement procedures and follow the Department for Education (DfE) Free School Presumption Process. Following this, interviews will be held with the academies and a candidate will be determined in July 2022.
Interested parties can register and make applications via the Worcestershire County Council Electronic Tendering Site. Please note you must be an approved Academy Sponsor by the close of the competition to be considered.
To keep up to date with the Academy Sponsor Competition, and view new information and documents as they are uploaded, please visit:
https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/newsecondaryschool