Nottingham High School Junior School are planning to extend and improve their facilities. The proposed scheme would increase pupil capacity to meet the increased demand for places as a result of the school going co-educational, reduce class sizes and modify the facilities to make them better suited to both boys and girls. It will also improve safety on site by separating vehicles and pedestrians on the school site.
The planned changes would also improve the external facilities. Playground spaces would be increased and improved, the split accommodation that currently exists would be removed and visitor and staff parking facilities would be improved, for the benefit of the whole school.
As a result of the proposed scheme, capacity at the junior school would be increased from 200 to 240 although the overall capacity at the school remains at 1,180. It would also enable maximum class sizes to be reduced from 24 to 20. The plans will make the playground space more accessible.
It will involve a two storey extension to the main junior school building. This will house three additional classrooms providing a total of twelve standard classrooms plus new specialist rooms for ICT, science and art and design technology. It will also have a double height hall and a new entrance and provide new staff and administration accommodation.
Alterations would also be made to the current accommodation.
A new car park would be created on the site of the current dining hall and kitchen which would be demolished as part of the work along with the current art and design technology classrooms, the toilets, the caretaker’s bungalow and stores, university house and a garage.
There have already been consultations with Nottingham City Council and neighbouring property owners about the proposed plans.
“The improvement and expansion of the Junior School has been on our agenda for a number of years but we have decided that now is the right time for it,” said Kevin Fear (pictured above), headmaster of Nottingham High School. “Our aim to become the premier selective, independent co-educational school in the region saw us welcome our first intake of girls in sixth form, reception, year one and year two in September. Our phased programme of becoming co-educational will enable girls to join the year groups throughout the rest of the school in September 2016. Our plan would be for the expanded and improved facility at the junior school to be open in September 2018.”
Paul Balen, Chairman of Governors at Nottingham High School, said: ‘These exciting plans demonstrate our confidence in the success of our move to coeducation. They bring all our junior school facilities into one area. The landscaping of the entire Waverley Mount entrance will provide an opportunity for the whole school to benefit from the improved amenities we will be able to provide as well as improving the visual impact of the site for the local community.’
