We are excited to share with you our proposed plans to expand our Sixth Form College with a new building adjacent to the current Sixth Form College building, to accommodate increasing Sixth Form student numbers.

This is considered a ‘’significant change’’ by the Department of Education (DfE) and we are consulting in line with current guidance to expand our Sixth Form College building at The Hessle Academy, Heads Lane site.

The reasons for this are set out below along with information on how you can contribute to this consultation.

When our new High School opened in 2016, it did so with sufficient space to accommodate 1514 students, aged 11-19.  At the time it of opening, the school had circa 1100 students on roll. 

However, as the number of students increased, it became apparent that a number of changes needed to be made to the internal and external site in order to accommodate them in a way that did not compromise our school values and commitment to our most vulnerable learners.  This has included the addition of new social and playground spaces as well as the creation of nurture rooms, new classrooms, offices and smaller rooms that enable us to provide appropriate support for all our students.

As our numbers on roll continue to rise, we need to ensure we have the necessary accommodation in place to continue to provide the exceptional care and education that is our hallmark and has made us such a popular choice with so many parents since 2017.

We therefore propose to erect a physical extension to our school building on Heads Lane, adjacent to the Tranby House Sixth Form College building.  This will provide further teaching, studying, research, exhibition and recreation space for our Sixth Form students.

This proposal will not see an increase in our Pupil Admission Number, and we have no intention of increasing it beyond its current 1514.

The consultation ran from Thursday 15 December to Thursday 26 January and has now closed. 

FAQS:

If the building was designed to accommodate 1514 students, why do you need to expand it?

Since we moved into the building, the increasingly complex needs of some of our more vulnerable students mean that we lacked the specialist rooms that we need to support them fully.  Our commitment to a broad and rich curriculum also requires more space than was originally intended as part of the building design.

Will the new building mean more traffic after it has been constructed?

There has been a 38% increase in our student numbers since 2017 and this has been planned for over time.  As the school nears capacity, the only growth will be a slight increase in numbers in the Sixth Form, which we anticipate being around 60 by September 2024.

Will the application be subject to planning permission?

Please note this is not a planning consultation. The Consortium Academy Trust will handle all planning matters separately through a formal planning application submission, and there will be detailed analysis on all possible impacts on residents. Full designs and specifications for the project will be shared, and people will be able to respond formally through the planning process.

This is an initial communication to make our parents, carers and local community aware and gauge the level of support for the expansion.

How will this proposal be paid for?

The Trust has submitted a funding application to the DfE.

When do you expect the proposed building to open?

Subject to funding, the proposed timeline indicates that this building would be open between September 2024 and June 2025.