An expanding school will shortly increase capacity to more than 1,000 students after a six-classroom expansion was approved. Surging demand for places at Unsworth Academy on Parr Lane mean teachers are currently sharing rooms.
The school opened in 2017 and in October 2018 had 780 pupils, that has risen to 918 currently and demand for places is expected to top 1,000 by October 2023. In supporting documents for the new classroom block ts leadership said it has become ‘the school of choice’ in its catchment area of central Bury, Radcliffe and Salford due to its facilities and positive Ofsted results.
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The school was built after the demolition of the former Castlebrook High School on the same site. Bury Council has now approved the plans, which include a new long jump area and play and socialising space.
The site of the new building is currently a public right of way. Bury Council said a diversion would be applied for to change the footpath route.
The route of the public right of way could be diverted to just before the main school entrance to travel to the south and loop around the school MUGAs and playing fields before re-joining the route at the underpass off the motorway to then continue eastwards.
A council planning report prior to the scheme being approved, said: “The applicant states that as a result of increasing pupil subscription to the school, there is a pressing need for a new separate classrooms which can accommodate the increased demand for pupil places. The modular building would be located to the north of the school building on the area of land where the disabled parking spaces are currently provided.”
The school is currently a three-storey L-shaped building with three new games areas and a car park and is close to Unsworth Cricket and Tennis Club.
The new building will be a long, low single-storey block with large windows and six classrooms. The school said the plans for the new building would not result in the loss of car parking spaces at the site but seven disabled sports would be relocated.
