Bulldozers move in at The Ripley Academy
The bulldozers have moved in at The Ripley Academy to make way for a new multi-million pound building which will house a sports hall, assembly hall and music rooms.
Demolition work has started on a large wooden structure called G Block, which was built in the 1960s and is the first building that was visible on entering the site.
G Block housed the school hall, gym and three classrooms but has not been used since 2012.
The block is due to be demolished by the end of March and soon after that is complete, work will start on a new building which will contain the reception, assembly hall, gym, sports hall and changing facilities that could be used by the wider community.
The new building is being funded with money from a successful bid to the Education Funding Authority’s Priority Schools Building Programme, which was submitted by the East Midlands Education Trust on behalf of the academy.
The Government allocated £2 billion for investment to refurbish buildings at more than 270 schools across the country.
Carey Ayres, Principal at The Ripley Academy, said that working with the trust had helped the academy to transform the opportunities available for staff and students.
She said: “The announcement that we would receive funding for the new building was wonderful news for our academy community and once it is complete, our students and staff will have access to the very best facilities.
“The academy is moving forward and is a vibrant learning environment with an exciting future and all of this has been made possible because of the support of the East Midlands Education Trust.”
Jamie McTaggart, Curriculum Area Leader PE at The Ripley Academy, said the new build was fantastic news.
He said: “The new facilities will open up a host of new opportunities for the students of the academy in both curriculum and extra-curricular time.”
Lauren Close, Music teacher at the academy, said the new build would be a real asset to the academy.
She said: “The new build will be a huge benefit in Music as it will give the students a greater performance space, learning environment and resources. This is very exciting news for everyone at the academy.”
The East Midlands Education Trust has already invested in new ICT systems at the academy and secured the funding to pay for the demolition of G Block.
The trust is a partnership between The West Bridgford School in Nottinghamshire and The Ripley Academy and was formed in September 2014.
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