New schools could take first pupils from September 2019
The schools at Northstowe are moving a step closer to construction following the appointment of Kier as the design and build contractor.
Phase one of housebuilding has already begun at Northstowe, which is five miles north-west of Cambridge, and the new schools will form an education campus close to the proposed town centre in phase two.
The development team are taking the initial plans for the secondary and special school to the Cambridgeshire Design Quality panel this week, with the hope that planning permission will be secured by April.
Andy Daly, executive principal of Swavesey Village College and Northstowe, said: “We’re really pleased with how the plans are progressing for the schools in Northstowe. We have ambitious plans for Northstowe, where the school is at the heart of the new town, bringing people together to create an empowered local community.”
In 2008, Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) proposed the new secondary school and post-16 provision to Cambridgeshire County Council where it was approved as school provider. It was later approved as provider of the SEN school in early 2017.
The trust currently runs six secondary schools, including North Cambridge Academy and Swavesey Village College, two primary schools, one stand-alone sixth form and a teacher training centre.
Mr Daly continued: “Last term was a busy period for our Northstowe team as they have also been out meeting prospective students and parents face-to-face at the Year 5 parents’ evening at Hatton Park Primary School.
“We’ve also been holding termly updates at Pathfinder and Hatton Park as we feel it’s important for the community to be involved with the school before it’s opened. It is an exciting time for CMAT, Swavesey Village College and the local community, and we are pleased that we now able to start bringing this vision to life.”
The schools in Northstowe are set to serve not only the town, but also the surrounding villages. The secondary school will initially open for pupils entering Year 7 only and will grow incrementally as the school is expanded in phases.
Now the building contracts have been decided, the Northstowe team within CMAT are working with the county council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Homes England and Kier to develop the initial plans.
The developers hope that construction will begin later this year and the schools will be ready to welcome their first set of pupils in September 2019.
Terry Fuller, general manager of Strategic Land at Homes England, said: “This is an important milestone in the development of a new, vibrant community at Northstowe, which will ultimately see 10,000 new homes built at the site.
“Alongside vital infrastructure works also due to commence in the coming weeks, the new secondary school will help provide the facilities needed to unlock delivery of these much-needed new homes.”
To keep updated with the progress on the plans at Northstowe.
