The expansion of a secondary school on the outskirts of Bristol is a step closer to starting the next phase of works after a new school building and extension of car park were given approval. The works at Abbeywood Community School, in Stoke Gifford, form part of a larger £12 million project to improve the school ahead of an increasing student population.
The £12 million project, which began in August, is expected to take 18 months and to be completed in early 2026. As part of the first phase of works, the dance studio was extended and the changing rooms improved.
Temporary classrooms were also installed in the short-term to keep up with rising student numbers. But now the permanent classroom block, which will include ten classrooms, is a step closer to beginning construction after planning permission was granted by South Gloucestershire Council on Friday, November 22.
Within the circulated report, it suggests that the school could cater for an additional 150 pupils once the new classroom block is completed, meaning the school could provide education for 1,394 pupils. It is expected that eight new members of staff would be hired.
As part of the works, an additional ten car parking spaces will be added to the current car parking facilities in order to help compensate for the additional staff and visitors. The number of cycle parking spaces will also be increased by 36 up to 378 spaces total.
There are 11 conditions which are attached to the planning permission, of which just two affect the commencement of development starting. A construction management plan will need to be submitted and a programme of archaeological investigation will need to be submitted and approved. All other conditions affect the development itself or pre-occupancy.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for schools, Cllr Ian Boulton, said in August: “I am delighted that work is underway to make these important improvements to Abbeywood Community School. Once completed, each element will improve learning life for both pupils and staff.
“As a council we recognise that the fabric of our schools is vital to allow teachers to teach and for students to learn. New, modern classrooms will certainly help that, but I am also particularly pleased to see the attention in this project to the creative arts, with the extension of the dance studio. This investment, of around £12 million, is one in the long-term future of the school, the staff and the students who will pass through these halls for years to come.”
In August, Dave Baker, Chief Executive Officer of The Olympus Academy Trust, which is responsible for Abbeywood Community School, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council to provide more places at Abbeywood Community School for local residents. The additional accommodation is long awaited and much needed. It will be transformational once completed.”
In the most recent Ofsted inspection, the secondary school obtained a ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted. The inspection, in November 2019, described the school as having a “genuine community feel”.
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