The forecasts have shown that the school age population is rising and that there is a continuing need to increase the number of places in Worcester secondary schools.

In order to meet this increase, we have worked with existing schools in Worcester to use their surplus capacity and add new places to existing local schools. It is not possible to expand these schools indefinitely.

The school will open initially to Year 7 children and will grow over time as it will take a new cohort of Year 7 children each September.

The delivery of a new school in Worcester will ensure sufficient places across the City and ensure an element of surplus which will ensure:

• families have an element of choice and increase the likelihood that families receive one of their top two preferences
• all children who move into the City during the school year are offered provision within 20 days; and
• all children who want to access a place in their local community are able to do so, reducing school travel times

The delivery of a new school provides an opportunity to build on the existing ‘Good’ secondary school provision in Worcester and offers more choice of schools which is important to support our children and young people in achieving good attainment and realising their full potential.

The requirement for a new school and alternative options were considered by Cabinet in February 2021, for more information see Agenda and minutes.

The delivery of a new school will ensure children can access a secondary school place within their local community in a growing City. The need for a new secondary school in Worcester goes hand in hand with the approval of large housing developments around the City, and also improves choice and access for families.

A further 5,000 homes are planned as part of two major Worcester urban expansions. Based on historic developments, new housing tends to attract families with an average of approximately 20 secondary school age pupils per 100 dwellings.

A progress report on the delivery of the new Worcester City Secondary School was presented to Council Cabinet on 28 March 2024.

The report noted that opening the school in September 2026 can no longer be achieved.

Due to the overall significant financial pressures this major project needs to align with an overall affordable capital programme for Worcestershire and therefore there is a need to programme the project over a longer period. It was approved that the new secondary school be delivered for September 2028.

Read the Cabinet report in full 

A joint hybrid planning application has been submitted by Worcestershire County Council and specialist healthcare property developer Prime plc to continue progress of a new Worcester City Secondary School and new car parking facilities adjacent to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The application will also focus on the associated highway works in the form of a new access and exit road onto the A4440 Nunnery Way which will allow entry to, and exit from, the new car park and create the potential for a new blue light route for emergency vehicles to reach and leave the hospital. It will also include a new access road off Newtown Road to service the school specifically.

By pursuing a hybrid application for the school, the access roads and the multi-storey car park jointly it enables a more strategic, comprehensive approach and solution to traffic users of the hospital, school and local residents, whilst providing a biodiversity net gain on the site.

The planning reference for this application is 24/000020/REG3. To view and comment on the live application, please visit our planning portal.

There are currently no open engagement or consultations on the new secondary school for Worcester.

Public Engagement 11 May to 11 June 2021

This engagement marked the first opportunity to have a say about what is important in the delivery of a new secondary school.

A total of 595 responses were received and the results of this survey will allow the Council at the very earliest stage to ensure a new school will meet the needs of current residents, as well as communities for generations to come.

Download:

• Worcestershire Secondary School engagement results (PDF)

Public Consultation 29 November 2021 to 23 January 2022

Following feedback from the public engagement event, the Council sought views on the proposals for the new school. 

These include:

• pupil age range
• size of the school
• location
• values
• build principles

238 people responded to the consultation alongside 55 primary school children who took part in workshops with the results used to finalise the specification and guide future decision making in the delivery of the new school.

Download:

• Consultation Document (PDF)
• Background Information and School Specification (PDF)
• Consultation key results and findings (PDF)

Public Consultation 12 June to 12 July 2023

The Council hosted a public consultation event on Monday 12 June 2023 to provide more information and an opportunity to ask questions about plans for the new school. Views on the plans for the new school were also captured via an online survey.

60 people attended the public consultation event and 267 responses were received to the online survey.

Download: Public consultation information on new secondary school for Worcester (PDF)

Stage one: establishing the need for a new school - completed February 2021

Stage two: engagement with stakeholders and residents – May to June 2021, completed

Stage three: consideration of site - November 2021, completed

Stage four: consultation on site and school specification - December 2021 to January 2022, completed

Stage five: academy sponsor competition - March to May 2022, completed

Stage six: planning application submission. Application went live on 3 October 2024

Stage seven: construction commences. Enabling works begin in April 2025 with construction of the school to begin in February 2027

Stage eight: academy pre-opening phase and consultation.

Stage nine: school opens - September 2028

Following a rigorous selection process, the multi-academy trust Oasis Community Learning was confirmed by the Department for Education in November 2022 as the preferred sponsor for the new Worcester City Secondary School.

Oasis Community Learning is a multi-academy trust with 52 academies across the country including 18 secondary schools and Oasis Academy Warndon, a Worcester primary school, rated by Ofsted as an 'Outstanding’ school in 2022.

The Trust has local understanding and knowledge in addition to offering a broad curriculum and range of support for children and young people and their families. Oasis have demonstrated their ability to achieve positive outcomes for pupils and equip them for further education, training and employment. 

For more information about Oasis Community Learning.

For all enquiries about Oasis Community Learning please email: Education.enquiries@oasisuk.org

Site location and use

The 7.3-hectare triangular site is located in Worcester, between Newtown Road and the A4440 roundabout, near Worcester Woods Country Park and Worcester Hospital. Though privately owned, it includes a public bridleway. Surrounded by hedgerows, the land has been designated for mixed-use development in the South Worcestershire Development Plan since 2016 and is now re-allocated for a secondary school.

Site allocation

The site is allocated for a new Secondary School under WCEMREAL01 in the South Worcestershire Development Review (Reg 19) document.

The site was previously allocated for mixed use under reference SWDP 43/15 (CFS0703) since 2016.

The proposed development comprises of a 600 place mainstream Secondary School for pupils between the age range of 11 to 16. It is anticipated that the full 600 places of the school would not be reached until 2031.

The development currently proposes two main buildings, external sports pitches, a multi-use games area, landscaping, parking and associated infrastructure. The development would also provide a community use element.

Timings for this proposed development

• site allocated for mixed use development in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) – 2016
• initial consultation on a new secondary school completed – May to June 2021
• Cabinet Report approving the Council to acquire the land and apply for planning permission for the 600 place secondary school – November 2021
• site re-allocated in the updated “Review” of the SWDP for a Secondary School in late 2022 (yet to be adopted formally)
• initial designs and layouts prepared May 2023
• pre-application public consultation during June 2023
• a planning application will be submitted in late summer 2023
• it is not yet known when the application will be reported to committee and the remaining timetable depends on when a decision is issued by the Local Authority
• practical completion and centre opening of the school is targeted as summer 2026
• the school will initially cater for 120 pupils in its first year of operation, and its intake will grow each year until total occupancy is achieved in 2031

Scale or size of the development

The school would be set within a parcel of land around 7.3 hectares in size, the anticipated size of different key parts are as follows:

• community and main school building – 10.8m (H) x 105m (L) x 30m (W widest point)
• teaching building - 9m (H) x 82m (L) x 19m (W)
• bridge link - 9.1m (H) x 24m (L) x 10m (W)
• multi use games areas x2 - 3m (H) (fencing) x 37m (L) x 18.5m (W)
• two football pitches - 106m (L) x 70m (W) each
• car parking from Newtown Road – 85 car parking spaces (including 7 disabled spaces)
• car parking from Nunnery Way (event overflow parking only) – 28 car parking spaces
• cycle parking – to cater for both pupils and staff

Development’s operation hours

The normal operating hours will be during the school day. Community use would extend the operations of the site until 10pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday.

Benefits to the local community and economy   

A new school in Worcester will help make sure there are enough places for children across the city. It will give families more choice, allow new arrivals to get a place within 20 days, and help children attend a school close to home, reducing travel time.

The school will also be used by the local community, mainly for sports, with more details to be shared in the planning application.

Constructing the proposed development

John Graham Construction Ltd would construct the school should planning permission be granted by the Council’s planning department.    

Operating the school  

Oasis Community Learning became a Multi-Academy Trust in 2004 with the goal of offering excellent education at the heart of local communities. They now run schools in five regions across the UK, supporting over 32,000 students in primary, secondary, and all-through education.

Each school aims to give students a high-quality learning experience and help every child reach their full potential. Their core values, like inclusion, equality, strong relationships, hope, and perseverance, shape everything they do and guide the culture of their school communities

At full capacity, the school will employ 85 full-time equivalent teaching and operational staff. If approved, the project will also generate various construction jobs, with specific roles detailed after the planning process. Once complete, the facility will offer diverse job opportunities, including teaching, pupil support, administration, technology, landscaping, catering, security, and other support roles. Recruitment is expected to begin 12 to 18 months before the school opens. Job applications are not yet open pending planning approval. 

Impact on local roads and traffic 

The new school will create some car traffic from staff and parents dropping off and picking up children. However, most students are expected to walk or cycle, with only a few being driven. A full Transport Assessment will be included in the planning application.

The impact on local roads should be small, especially since only the morning drop-off overlaps with busy traffic times. Traffic surveys have been done, and the full effect of extra vehicles will be covered in the Transport Assessment.   

Newtown Road access 

Newtown Road provides the most safe and convenient access for children arriving at school. The improvements are designed to minimise disruption to through traffic, including routes to the hospital.    

Bus park or drop off point for students  

It is anticipated buses will only be used by the school for trips away for pupils. These will use a drop off area in front of the school once children have already arrived.    

Parents park or drop off for students 

Parents will be directed to use a drop off or pick up area within the development site in front of the school buildings.    

Access to the south from Nunnery Way   

The access from Nunnery Way will serve a community overflow car park, which can also be used to segregate public use from the wider school grounds. The access will also serve the remaining agricultural land to the west.    

Deliveries from HGVs  

The school is likely to generate daily deliveries for food and supplies while also requiring refuse collection two or three times a week. Overall, it is estimated to have up to two or three HGVs per day. This information would be included in the full Transport Assessment to be submitted as part of the planning application.    

Traffic during the construction

The construction of the school will require deliveries of construction materials, plant and removal of waste/excess material on a variety of sizes of vehicle, such as articulated HGVs, concrete mixers and tipper trucks. Construction workers will also travel to the site on a daily basis. Traffic will be arranged so as not to coincide with the busiest traffic periods (peak hours).    

Diverting the bridleway  

The current bridleway passes through the centre of the development site and will therefore require diversion to facilitate the construction of school buildings. A route will be retained with a generous width following the western boundary of the field and therefore only a slight increase in the current route length.    

How the buildings will look    

The building and grounds are important facilities supporting the community and will have gravitas and clear identity. The building sits in the landscape at different plateaux’s within the topography to create place for students, staff and community, while breaking up the massing of the build.

The form and composition of the building is based on creating comfortable and positive internal environments while reinforcing the links between internal and external spaces.

Materials chosen are based on longevity and forming an appearance which is timeless and supports the importance of the school as a beacon in the landscape.    

Visual impact   

The site location and topography affords more open views to the north and east but limits potential impacts to sensitive places to the south and west, notably Worcester Woods.

The proposed building location seeks to limit the potential impact on sensitive places (such as footpaths and houses). The wider planting and green infrastructure will be designed to benefit the visual experience from areas around the site.

A Landscape Appraisal will support the planning application along with a landscaping plan.    

External environment  

The Proposed Development has been designed to retain as much existing woodland, tree and meadow areas as possible, however with any development on previously undeveloped land, some losses are expected. It is anticipated that the areas free from development will be planted with native species and will also include native hedgerow. A plan showing the landscape proposals will be submitted as part of the planning application.    

Surveys overview

A range of environmental surveys have been conducted to assess the site’s suitability for development:

• Ecology Surveys identified the presence of protected species, notably slow worms. Habitat creation is planned in Worcester Woods Country Park, with initial landscaping underway pending planning approval
• Biodiversity Net Gain measures will offset any habitat loss, with on-site improvements supplemented by enhancements elsewhere in Worcester
• Tree Surveys recorded the species, health, and number of trees present
• Archaeological Surveys (including geophysical and previous excavations) found minimal historic interest, though minor post-medieval and Roman-era materials were recovered. Further desktop studies and investigations will be completed as part of planning
• Ground Investigations (Oct 2022) found no contamination concerns or structural issues. The site is outside coal mining or radon risk zones. Safe construction practices will be followed, with procedures for unexpected contamination
• Topographical and Utilities Surveys mapped site levels and underground infrastructure
• Noise and Air Quality Assessments are ongoing. Early results suggest impacts are likely to be acceptable. Mitigation measures will be included in a Construction Management Plan
• Traffic Surveys evaluated current road use and will inform planning for site-related traffic changes
• Visual Inspections were carried out to document the site's current condition and context
• Flood Risk is low (Flood Zone 1). SuDS will manage surface water, and a full Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy will support the planning application