A transformation project at Sandy Secondary School was completed in the summer of 2024, to provide additional places and more facilities for pupils, as part of our New School Places Programme.
The school had an increase in the number of pupils from 535 in 2016 to just over 1,000 in 2021, during which time the school also changed from an upper school to a secondary school, in 2018.
A new teaching block and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) block has increased the capacity of the school from 1,175 pupils two years ago to up to 1,440 pupils today.
As part of the project, a new floodlit 3G all-weather 7-a-side sports pitch has been delivered for use by the school and the community.
There have also been refurbishments to the existing school.
Timeline
- 2018 - the school changed from an upper school (ages 13 to 16) to a secondary school (ages 11 to 16) at the start of the September term
- 2020 - proposals to provide new school facilities were consulted on
- 2022 - in December, planning permission was granted for the transformation project
- 2023 - a ground-breaking ceremony on February 28 officially marked the start of the construction stage for the SEND block
- 2023 - on 28 September, a bolt tightening and steel frame signing ceremony marked a new milestone for the teaching block
- 2024 - the new two-storey teaching and single-storey SEND blocks were handed over to the school during the school summer holidays and the first classes were taught in the new facilities at the start of the new term in September
- 2024 - 9 October: pop star Tom Grennan was the special guest to officially open the new school facilities
Benefits
The 28 classrooms include five IT suites, two specialist food technology rooms, and a new sixth-form centre. This will help to improve the education of students in the area by offering more facilities to meet increasing demand.
The new three-classroom SEND block, called an Aspirational Provision, will provide vital support to students with special educational needs, giving them a more inclusive and tailored environment for learning.
And the 3G sports pitch will provide sporting opportunities all year round, in all weathers, both to pupils and to the local community.
Community input
There was a public consultation about the changes in 2020 which garnered 88% support for the proposals. You can view all the documents relating to this from the Executive Meeting held on 13 Apil 2021.