Windsor Apollo Academy - Public Consultation by Windsor Academy Trust

WINDSOR APOLLO ACADEMY - PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Development Aims

The Department for Education (DfE), Windsor Academy Trust and BAM Construction are pleased to share initial details of the proposals for the construction of a new secondary school, Windsor Apollo Academy, at the former golf course site off Reedswood Lane.

The school will provide 750 secondary school places, 200 sixth form places, and 24 Inclusion

Base places to support students with special education needs, as well as sports and other facilities available for use by the community.

The development will be funded by the DfE through their capital funding programme, representing a significant investment in the local area to help address an identified shortfall of secondary school places.

The initial proposals have been informed by detailed technical and environmental assessments of the site to support our understanding the surrounding context.

Direct consultation with Officers representing the Local Planning Authority, Lead Local Flood Authority, and Highway Authority is also ongoing and will further inform the final scheme that will be submitted for planning approval.

Your feedback is therefore welcomed and will be taken on board in finalising the proposals for the new school.

“We are pleased that Walsall has been selected for this significant investment, and that Windsor Academy Trust has been chosen as the education partner for the new secondary school. This project will create much-needed, high-quality secondary school places right here in the borough, building upon the excellent work we already do at Goldsmith and Rivers Primary Academies. We have seen firsthand the transformative power of a new free school with the opening of Windsor Olympus Academy in Sandwell and we are committed to developing a new school in Walsall that empowers every student to unlock both their academic and personal potential and supports the local community to thrive.”

Dawn Haywood, Chief Executive Officer, Windsor

Academy Trust

WINDSOR APOLLO ACADEMY - PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Accessibility

The site is located in a sustainable location, with access to existing bus, pedestrian and cycle routes, which also provide access to other schools in the area.

Windsor Academy Trust operates two primary schools in Walsall (Goldsmith Primary Academy and Rivers Primary Academy), which will act as feeder schools for the proposed secondary school alongside local residents. A dedicated bus service is currently proposed to cater for pupils from the Trust’s two feeder schools, with a dedicated area for buses proposed on site.

All potential routes and connections to the site are being considered in detail, including opportunities for pedestrian and cycle access via Reedswood Lane, Reedwood Park, Raybould’s Bridge Road, Reedswood Retail Park, and the canal footpath. This will inform the Movement Strategy that will be prepared to support the full planning application in consultation with the Highway Authority.

The proposals do not propose to provide on-site parent drop-off in line with Walsall Council policy, to avoid attracting more vehicles to the site or to any single location. On-site parking is to be provided for staff and visitors, including disability spaces and EV charging facilities, plus cycle parking suitable for all users.

The site is an area of c.5 hectares and comprises the former golf course. It is contained by Reedswood Retail Park to the north, Walsall Canal to the east, residential development to the south, and Reedswood Park to the west. The site itself is an irregular shape which does provide some limitations on location and orientation of uses within it.

A number of site constraints have been identified through detailed technical and environmental assessments, which have led to the current site layout. This will evolve further through ongoing surveys and consultation feedback, and will be guided by the following key site layout principles:

• Location of the School Building - The location of the school building within the site needs to be carefully considered to protect the amenity of nearby residents and retain existing vegetation wherever possible. The north western corner of the site is likely to be the most appropriate location, placing it near to the retail park and away from residential properties. This is also the location of foundations from the power station cooling towers previously on the site.

• Retention of Landscaping - The site contains a large number of trees. A number of these are self-sown, small trees, but there are a number of mature trees and these will be retained wherever possible. In particular, existing trees along the sites boundaries are to be retained wherever possible to provide buffers to the development and maintain dark corridors for bats.

• Location of Sports Provision - The new secondary school will include outdoor sports provision for use primarily by the school, with some community access outside of school hours. An all weather pitch and a multi-use games area will be provided within the site. The all weather pitch may include flood lights. The sports provision will, therefore, need to be located away from residential properties and sensitively designed to safeguard ecology.

• Car Parking - The intention is to promote the use of sustainable, active modes of travel to and from the site. The school is a secondary school and, therefore, the majority of students will be able to travel independently to the site. On site car parking will provide for staff and visitors, with a drop-off for any dedicated bus service.

Key Facilities

The design of the building is still subject to some refinement, but there are a number of key principles that have informed the layout of facilities to date.

• Community - Windsor Academy Trust are passionate about providing a school which not only provides an accessible and inspiring environment for its pupils and staff, but also for the local community. Therefore, facilities that will be accessible to the community, and core areas where pupils will come together (such as family dining) are to be situated at the heart of the building.

• Collaboration - The school will be a place where students can collaborate to enhance their learning experience, and staff will develop skills together to deliver high quality and inspiring teaching. To foster this, the building layout will include flexible classroom space to enable a diverse and engaging curriculum across all ages.

• Special Education Needs - The school will deliver 24 Inclusion Base places (formerly known as Specialist Resourced Provision / SRP) enabling students with special education needs to learn in a supportive environment that will build confidence and help integration with mainstream education. Specific classrooms and social space will be provided with a designated access point, but located next to mainstream education provision to support cohesion and collaboration.

• Health and Sports - Supporting the health and wellbeing of students, staff, and the local community will be a key focus for the school. Therefore, the building includes teaching space for health science education, alongside flexible indoor sport facilities, as well as all weather outdoor sport facilities.

• Further Education - The school will deliver 200 sixth form places. A designated social area and a study space for use by sixth form pupils will be provided, together with a separate access to enable students easy access to reflect their timetable. However, the sixth form will be positioned to remain a key part of the school, creating visibility to inspire younger pupils to continue learning.

WINDSOR APOLLO ACADEMY - PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Building Design and Layout

The design of the building is still subject to some refinement, but the proposed scale and form meets all of the requirements for the Trust and all proposed users. These visualisations aim to show the scale of new building within the site and surrounding area and the likely form that it will take, based upon the design and layout principles that have been established to date.