It's official -- scheme to demolish Kirkby school and create a state-of-the-art rebuild

An official planning application has finally been lodged with Ashfield District Council for The Outwood Academy, which has a capacity for about 700 pupils.

It has been in the pipeline since the school, formerly known as Kirkby College, joined the Yorkshire-based Outwood Grange Academies Trust two years ago. Indeed the work was originally due to be completed last month.

The enormous amount of detail connected to the plan (the council has received almost 50 documents), as well as a change of government, led to delays.

Now, however, the application to knock down the school, which opened back in 1977 as Kirkby Centre Comprehensive, has gone in.

It includes a redevelopment project featuring a new three-storey, T-shaped educational building on the 5.6-acre site, complete with sports hall, outdoor sports provision and associated parking and landscaping.

Construction company Willmott Dixon, which is the contractor behind the project, says the rebuild would be “a catalyst for Kirkby’s regeneration” and “would aim to revitalise the town by addressing educational needs”.

It would include classes on all three floors, a new entrance plaza facing Kingsley Street, a central courtyard described as “a dynamic social hub for students” and facilities to benefit the whole Kirkby community.

If the plan is approved, work could begin next March, with students potentially moving into the new building by September, 2027.

Planning documents add: “The buildings which comprise the academy at the moment are of a range of ages, but have all now reached the end of their expected life. The school has been identified for a comprehensive redevelopment as part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding programme.”

It is also part of a huge school improvement and expansion schedule by Nottinghamshire County Council, which is hoping to invest about £130 million into various projects, backed too by government funding.

Other projects on the waiting list include the rebuilding of Ashfield Academy in Kirkby, All Saints Catholic Voluntary Academy in Mansfield, Meden School at Warsop and The Dukeries Academy in Ollerton and Garibaldi School in Forest Town.

Cllr Ben Bradley, leader of the county council and Mansfield’s former MP, said: “We are committed to building and expanding schools to provide pupils with the best facilities, allowing them to learn in modern, well-equipped buildings.

"There is no better investment in our children’s future than ensuring they get a good education.”

If the Outwood plan gets the go-ahead, architects and designers promise a building that allows for flexibility and adaptability. The trust hopes it would follow its ethos of ‘students first, raising standards and transforming lives’.

The school, whose head is Mark Golden, was renamed and became part of the Outwood Trust a year after Kirkby College had been branded ‘Inadequate’ by the education watchdog, Ofsted.

At the time, the trust’s then chief executive, Martyn Oliver, said: “We are working closely with partners and stakeholders to deliver rapid educational improvement and a new, state-of-the-art building to ensure children get the opportunities they deserve.”

One of those partners, Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, said at the time: “I have worked closely with the Department for Education, the Schools Commissioner and the county council to secure funding to demolish this school and rebuild, with a new management structure in place.

"I am delighted the Outwood Grange Trust is taking over this failing school. Be in no doubt this is a major coup for Kirkby children because Outwood Grange has a fantastic track record of delivering first-class education in some of the poorest areas.”

The Kirkby school has not been inspected by Ofsted since the takeover, but an indication of improvement came this summer when students celebrated GCSE exam results that were labelled “exceptional”.

Mr Golden said: “The achievements of our students this year have been amazing and are a reflection of their hard work and dedication to being successful. We are extremely proud.”