South Wolds Academy in Keyworth is undergoing a significant expansion to meet the growing demand for school places in the area, with final project costs now confirmed at nearly £5 million up from £3.3 million.
The expansion, spearheaded by the East Midlands Education Trust (EMET) and supported by Nottinghamshire County Council, will allow the school to increase its Pupil Admission Number (PAN) from 170 to 210 – a crucial move as thousands of new homes bring families into the catchment area.
The Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management formally approved the increased grant funding allocation of £4,998,465.19 following a detailed report from the Director of Economy, Environment and Assets.
The need for additional capacity has become increasingly urgent. The County Council’s Pupil Place Planning team has forecast a significant shortfall of school places by 2029. This comes as up to 4,000 new homes are planned for East Gamston and north of Tollerton, alongside a noticeable influx of school-age children moving into the Keyworth area.
South Wolds Academy, part of the EMET, had already seen previous expansion efforts in 2023, when six new classrooms and a technical teaching area were delivered. Despite this, further action was needed to provide space from September 2024 onwards.
Project Details and Facilities
Work on the current expansion began in the summer of 2024 following approval by the Cabinet Member on 15 May 2024, with EMET leading construction and Arc Partnership providing oversight.
The nearly completed facilities now include:
Two new classrooms
Two changing rooms with showers, plus an accessible toilet and changing room
Refurbished dining and catering facilities
Two outdoor canopies providing covered social space
A new external play area
IT infrastructure, fixtures, fittings and furniture
The works have been designed in line with Building Bulletin 103, ensuring appropriate learning and recreational space for mainstream school students.
Importantly, the school’s electrical capacity has also been upgraded to accommodate potential future expansions or even a new-build school on the site.
Although the project was originally funded under a £3.32 million grant, the final bill rose to £4.99 million, with key contributors to the increase including:
£100,000 for kitchen servery improvements
£200,000 for temporary classrooms
A fully utilised contingency budget of £711,000
A breakdown of project costs is as follows:
| Item | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Power upgrade by National Grid | 613,453 |
| 2 canopies for pupil cover | 223,398 |
| Kitchen, servery and dining area upgrades | 954,618 |
| Classrooms, changing rooms and toilets | 1,339,772 |
| IT/Mechanical and Electrical works | 436,000 |
| Furniture and fittings | 47,000 |
| Programme management | 54,250 |
| Contingency | 711,000 |
| Trust and site management fees | 218,975 |
| Electric uplift costs | 400,000 |
| Total | £4,998,466 |
Despite the increased costs, the County Council and Arc Partnership have confirmed that all expenditure is legitimate and represents good value for money, particularly considering that £1.25 million of the investment is suitable for permanent infrastructure, ensuring long-term benefits for the school and wider community.
