A NEW free school planned for Gedling will become part of the Flying High Trust
The new school will be built on the Teal Close development in Colwick, Nottinghamshire and will offer 210 primary places.
The new school, which is anticipated to open in September 2021, is needed to meet to meet demand for places arising from the building of new homes in the area and increased demand for school places.
The Flying High Trust has been approved as sponsor by the Secretary of State for Education after a competitive application process. They currently run 26 primary schools and are the highest performing primary multi-academy trust in the East Midlands.
Demonstrating a proven track record and working with Nottinghamshire County Council, they opened Nottinghamshire’s first free school; Hucknall Flying High Academy, which goes from strength to strength.
Paul Goodman, Deputy CEO at the Flying High Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the responsibility of running the new school upon its completion. It is a superb opportunity to create a school which from day one will have a strong vision and which we hope will become the pride of its community.”
Chris Wheatley OBE is CEO of the Flying High Trust and said, “Our mission will be to provide the highest calibre of staff to ensure that the children at the new school will receive the best opportunities available. Coupled with the benefits of a brand-new building and a rich curriculum, we can ensure the school and its pupils are the best they can be.”
Councillor Philip Owen, Chairman of the Children and Young People’s committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We are committed to ensuring there is enough educational provision for children in Nottinghamshire. This is an important step in creating additional primary school places to serve our growing population.
“The Trust has a proven track record in delivering results and an understanding of the challenges that can be faced in developing a new school.
“We are really pleased that a successful sponsor has been appointed that understands the Nottinghamshire school landscape, who can work with the local community and is passionate about ensuring an excellent education for every child.”
The planning and design work will be carried out by Persimmon Homes and the project is being funded through housing developer contributions.
Nottinghamshire County Council is delivering an ambitious schools building programme, creating hundreds of new school places across Nottinghamshire. The Council has already given the green light for studies to be carried out for eight free schools to meet demand created by housing developments in Rushcliffe, Gedling, Newark, Mansfield and Bassetlaw.
