New Wolverhampton school plan scrapped after academy chain pulls out

Star Academies was given the go-ahead by the Department for Education (DfE) to open a new secondary school in the city in 2021 as part of the Government’s free schools programme.

But the multi-academy trust has now scrapped the project, saying "several factors" had changed since the original application was submitted.

The school was part of a £1billion scheme launched by South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson when he was Education Secretary and was due to open in 2024.

A spokesperson for Star Academies said: "The proposed establishment of the new secondary school in Wolverhampton will not be going ahead.

"While we were keen to open a school in the city, several factors have changed since our application was submitted, including the level of basic need for pupil places and the quality of existing provision in the area.

"We were also unable to find a site that was both viable and affordable. It is with regret that we have withdrawn the project due to these extenuating circumstances."

Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson said it had become clear that there was no longer the need for a new school in the city.

He said: "The situation changed since the initial plans and there are now ample spaces available in the existing schools in the city. We would struggle to fill a new school so there was no point in putting the funding here.

"I remain committed to talking to the Department for Education to make sure our schools across the city get the funding they need."

The school was to be called Star Leadership Academy Wolverhampton and would cater for up to 750 pupils aged 11-16.

At the time council bosses said it would ensure there was sufficient space to meet the growing demand for school spaces in the city.

Lancashire-based Star Academies, which runs dozens of schools including several in Birmingham, is pressing ahead with a new academy in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, which was announced at the same time at the Wolverhampton school.

However, the opening is expected to be delayed, with the DfE said to be experiencing "significant difficulties" in delivering its school building programme due to inflationary pressures.