Oakley School, Bishop's Tachbrook
| Oakley School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Oakley Wood Road , , CV33 9QE England | |
| Coordinates | 52°15′26″N 1°32′12″W / 52.257107°N 1.536531°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Free school |
| Established | September 2023 |
| Local authority | Warwickshire |
| Trust | Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 149717 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Headteacher | Sarah Kaye |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 4 to 16 |
| Colours | Green and black |
| Website | https://oakley-school.com/ |
Oakley School is a coeducational all-through school located in Bishop's Tachbrook (near Leamington Spa and Warwick) The school formally opened in September 2023, however construction on the school site is expected to be completed by 2024. The first students are temporarily housed in a facility at nearby Myton School until completion of the new school site.
History[edit]
Oakley School is being built to serve the need of over 1000 school placements generated by the neighbouring newly-built Oakley Grove housing estate.[1] With an initial funding of £56 million from the Warwickshire County Council (WCC), later increased to over £60 million,[2] it will be the most expensive school ever funded by the council.[3] Its first students will be Year 7 pupils, who will be housed in a temporary facility at Myton School for the academic year beginning September 2023. After which the students will move to the Oakley School site alongside a further Year 7 cohort and its first reception year group.[1]
The school appointed its first headteacher Sarah Kaye in October 2022.[4]
Planning permission for the school site was given in 2019.[5] Although originally expected to be open by 2023, work on the school site began on 12 December 2022, and is expected to be completed in 2024.[6][5]
Controversy[edit]
The decision to delay the school's site opening by a year was met with anger from nearby residents, as many residents had moved to the nearby housing estate with the expectation of the school being ready for 2023. The school's solution to temporarily send pupils to a nearby school also drew criticism from residents, including a campaign group of over 200 parents and Labour Party Member of Parliament Matt Western,[7] suggesting it could have a negative impact on their children's education and put pressure on nearby schools.[5]
Oakley School's lack of a sixth form also faced criticism. Parents feared there would not be enough sixth form placements for the area, although WCC was confident a new sixth form was not "urgently needed".[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Warwickshire's new all-through school at Oakley Grove to join local Multi Academy Trust led by the Outstanding Southam College". Warwickshire County Council. 25 July 2022. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ Lawrence, David (16 December 2022). "New school near Leamington is set to cost more than £60 million to build". Warwickshireworld. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ Suart, Paul (25 September 2022). "First glimpse of Warwickshire's 'biggest and most expensive' state school". Coventry Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ "Oakley School's First Headteacher – Sarah Kaye". Oakley School. 20 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Catherine (3 February 2022). "Delay to opening of new school has residents reeling". Leamington Observer. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ "Work set to begin on the exciting Oakley Grove School build". Warwickshire County Council. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ a b Editorial Correspondent (29 July 2022). "Anger as parents learn new Oakley School will have no sixth form". Leamington Observer. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
