Work to start as £31 million to be spent on Telford school expansion projects

The Telford & Wrekin Council project will spend £31 million on schools across the borough over the next two years, providing more places for the increasing numbers of pupils as the town expands – and meaning more can attend a school closer to their home.

Work on the first project, a £3 million development at Telford Langley School providing space for another 300 pupils, is now set to begin

The development is part of a number planned to ensure the school estate can cope with the growth across the town.

Telford & Wrekin Council said further expansions will be planned at other school sites across the borough.

The £3 million scheme will include a new two-storey, 300-pupil classroom facility at the Langley school site in Dawley, along with reconfiguring and refurbishing areas of the ground floor and first floor of the existing school building.

The Langley development will also include a partnership arrangement for a secondary Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) hub to bridge the gap between specialist and mainstream schooling.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, the council's cabinet member for children, young people, education and lifelong learning, said: “This represents a £3 million investment by the council in the future of the borough and underscores our commitment to provide local school places for local children.

Committed

“Expanding provision at Telford Langley will provide more secondary places for children in the Dawley area and enable even more children to attend a school which is closer to their home address.

“This will be on top of the £200 million Building Schools for the Future programme which, completed four years ago, benefitting every secondary school in the borough.”

Steven Carter, executive headteacher at Langley School, said: “The Telford Langley is a school in the heart of its community and we are committed to 'Ensuring Excellence' in everything we do” here.

“We firmly believe that all students should feel safe, happy and cared for in an environment that is well disciplined, allowing students to be successful and enjoy their learning.

“This major improvement project will help us to provide an even more stimulating environment and new spaces for growth and learning.”

Shropshire construction company Morris Property have been awarded the design & build project and refurbishment programme and will work with the council to create the new facilities for the school, which is part of the Community Academies Trust.

The firm's contracts manager, Glyn O’Hara, said: “We are thrilled to once again be working with colleagues at Telford & Wrekin Council, using our specialist educational construction experience to good effect.

“Having recently completed projects at John Randall and Newport Junior and Ladygrove schools, the team here understand the dynamics of constructing within the school environment and are keen to produce the highest quality transformation with the minimum of disruption.”