Opening of Northstowe Secondary College delayed again
The opening of Northstowe Secondary College has been delayed for another week.
Cambridgeshire County Council say that to ensure that the site is safe and ready for students and teachers, the school will now open on Monday, October 7 rather than September 30.
The 70 Year 7 students will continue to be taught in a dedicated temporary secondary school space at the Pathfinder Primary School in Northstowe for the additional week.
In June, the opening date was pushed back from the start of September to September 30 due to “project-related construction issues”.
Andy Daly, executive headteacher, said, “Working in conjunction with Cambridgeshire County Council, we have taken the decision to delay moving into our new school building until the October 7.
“Despite assurances from the contractors that we could move in on September 30, we want to ensure that the environment is of the quality we are demanding for our community and any issues relating to finishes or safety have been addressed fully before we move in.
“The students have had a very positive start to their secondary education with us and we are absolutely committed to ensuring this is sustained and not disrupted by our move. Having toured the site they will have an amazing school and we look forward to making the spaces our own from October 7.
“We are very grateful to parents for their understanding and for the ongoing support of the staff, Headteacher and Governors of the Pathfinder Primary School for continuing to be such accommodating hosts.”
The county council is managing the school build project and received the go ahead in October 2018 to develop the Northstowe Education Campus, in partnership with South Cambridgeshire District Council and Homes England (HE), the government’s national housing agency.
A statement from the county council said: “Whilst phase 1A is slightly delayed the full completion is ahead of schedule and, at this stage, we expect work to be finished by May half-term 2020 so students will have the benefit of the whole site before the end of their first year at the school.”
The secondary school will be run by Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) and will initially provide places for up to 600 pupils aged 11-16. It will then be extended in two subsequent phases to 1,200 and finally 1,800 pupils.
The timing of these phases will be dependent upon the pace of housing development and demand for places from families moving into the catchment area.
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