Plans to expand Holyrood Academy underway

Plans are underway for a major £6.2m project to expand Holyrood Academy in Chard to increase student numbers and meet growing demand.

Chard’s population is growing and in order to meet projected student numbers and demand for school places, Somerset County Council and its partner Futures for Somerset have drawn up plans to increase Holyrood’s capacity by an additional 220 places by 2022.
 
Plans will be submitted for approval by the end of the month and if given the green light will see a new two-storey building teaching and dining block built on the former Cresta swimming pool site, planned to be demolished this summer.
 
The new building will incorporate a purpose-built student/dining area, six classrooms, new office spaces & meeting rooms and a single point of entry into the school.
 
If approved, building is set to start late summer with the new building complete by September 2022.
 
Cllr Faye Purbrick, Cabinet Member for Education and Transformation at Somerset County Council said: “We’re investing millions in schools and school places across Somerset in order to meet growing demand and to deliver high-quality& education. If approved, this £6.2m investment will deliver a new two-storey teaching block expected to be ready for students from next September. This is exciting news for the school, for the town and the wider community and will ensure school places are there in future to meet Chard’s growing population.” 
 
Dave MacCormick, Head Teacher at Holyrood Academy said: “The students, staff, parents and wider community associated with Holyrood Academy are rightly excited at the prospect of such a significant investment in our school.  We are extremely proud of the educational experience we provide for our students and the addition of a new dining hall, student entrance and classroom spaces with further modernisation of our existing Science and Music facilities will allow us to expand our provision to better serve more children now and in the future.  We are delighted to be able to support the expansion of Chard in this way and look forward to working with an even larger community in the near future.”
 
If you’d like to view the proposed expansion plans, would like to have your say or need any further information, please email FuturesInfo@Somerset.gov.uk