The DfE has now made it official by announcing that a new secondary school will be opened in Northamptonshire. This innovative and ambitious turn of events has captured the interests and imagination of local leaders and residents alike. The announcement comes as debate percolates over the strain MR background check waiver to local secondary schools. These schools are now justifiably over-subscribed and facing challenges to meet the demand.
Rosie Wrighting, Labour MP for Kettering, with the UK government’s announcement. She gave particular testimony to how important it is to expand educational facilities to meet the needs of the community. She further added that thousands of residents have expressed their deep concern over the lack of additional secondary school places. This concern is particularly acute as unsheltered populations continue to grow.
Plans for the free school on the Hanwood Park estate in Kettering received initial approval from the Department for Education in 2021. Despite this, seven months of delay have set off guard bells. North Northamptonshire Council projects a massive shortfall in secondary school places by the 2027-2028 academic year. This is the case if things go wrong and the new school isn’t able to progress as planned.
David Wilmot, a local education advocate, criticized the delays, stating that there has been a “catastrophic failure” to deliver the new school on time. Once slated to open in 2024, the local share now throws the entire project’s timeline into doubt.
“The delay means that by 2030, hundreds of children who deserve a local high-quality education will be forced to travel further, clogging our roads, disrupting family life and placing an unbearable and crushing strain on our already stretched existing schools,” – David Wilmot.
As a result, the Hanwood Park estate is one of the country’s largest planned new garden communities. In 2011, developers were granted planning permission to construct 5,500 new homes on it. Chris Langdon, project director at Hanwood Park, expressed optimism about the future of the school project, stating, “We are mobilised and ready to get moving.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been tracking state of play behind Hanwood Park, and its schools. North Northamptonshire Council, which is currently led by Reform UK, is a key player in local governance. They will support that the academy serves the needs of Kettering’s increasing population.
