School's joy as new owners pledge £500,000 investment
A school is looking forward to an “exciting future” with new owners investing £500,000 to improve facilities.
Birchfield School, near Albrighton in Shropshire, which currently educates boys and girls from ages four to 13, will welcome children up to the age of 16 from September 2021 - and will see a major investment programme, including new science and sports facilities.
The school has become part of the St Philips Education group, which also owns St Dominic’s Grammar School in Brewood, Staffordshire, and co-owner of the group, Gary Hartland, said pupils, parents and staff could look forward to a bright future.
He said: “We are passionate about providing the very best facilities for pupils, and will be undertaking a major improvement programme, with the initial investment being in the region of £500,000.
“These are exciting times and we very much look forward to working with the head teacher and her team to enhance the educational opportunities for pupils both now and in the future.”
Changes are already underway, including the launch of an extension to the senior school department.
From September 2021, Birchfield School will welcome pupils in Year 9.
Headmistress Sarah Morris said the senior part of the school would be housed in the traditional setting of the main school house, with modern facilities combined with impressive outdoor sporting facilities.
“We will see investment in so many areas of school life, adding to our already highly-respected educational provision, and allowing our pupils the opportunity to stay on with us at the school they love so much for their ongoing education," she said.
“We are proud of our independent status, and the opportunity for pupils to continue their education up to Year 11 and GCSE allows the school to draw upon its subject specialists to build upon further success.”
The school will continue to prepare pupils for 11-plus entrance to the grammar schools, as well as offering tailored learning for common entrance and scholarship to prestigious local and national senior schools at 13-plus, where pupils have been awarded 41 scholarships in the last three years alone.
Mrs Morris added that as part of the school’s development, parents would see new minibus routes on offer across Tettenhall, Codsall and wider afield from Telford and Newport.
She said plans were being progressed to prioritise all areas of the school site right from the pre-prep department to developing state-of-the-art science facilities as well as significant investment into the sporting facilities.
Whilst both schools in the group will continue to operate fully independently of each other, Mrs Morris said she was looking forward to working closely with the team at St Dominic’s Grammar School.
