Shropshire Star

Two Newport schools benefit from £6 million of funding

Two schools in Newport have benefited from £6 million of funding which will allow them to expand and improve facilities.

Published
Haberdashers' Adams headteacher Gary Hickey

Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School and Newport Girls’ High School have both been successful in bids to the Government’s selective schools expansion fund.

Just six schools have been awarded funding in this round and the cash will allow both schools to focus on the future in offering an outstanding education to young people in the town.

Haberdashers’ Adams applied for funds to build a new classroom teaching block, which will allow the school to expand to accept an additional 30 boys per year into year seven from 2021.

Over the next five years this expansion will allow for 150 extra places – the biggest expansion in the history of the school.

Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School has plans to significantly expand its attendance area; giving priority admission to pupils from a wider area.

Headmaster Gary Hickey said: “I am delighted that the success of our bid means we will be able to welcome more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds into our community.

"Social mobility is at the heart of what I believe a grammar school is about and this Government funding means that from 2021, an additional 30 pupils, from a wide range of backgrounds, will be able to benefit from the outstanding education the school provides.”

Newport Girls’ High School’s bid includes the provision of kitchen facilities and a new dining room to cope with increased pupil demand.

The school also wants to create a five classroom block at the rear of the site.

This also allows more opportunities for pupils in performing arts with the old dining room becoming a much-needed drama studio.

It will also be able to increase the number of students who join the school on the pupil premium scheme.

Newport Girls’ headteacher Michael Scott said: "Having opened with just 32 students in a year group, Newport Girls’ High has seen a staged increase in numbers over the past 10 years.

"Our successful bid will make a considerable impact on the curriculum we can deliver, the school’s facilities and offer the best in technology going forward for girls in the town and wider area.”

Both schools consulted widely in preparing their bids and responses to this consultation will be fed into plans that will be drawn up ahead of the implementation of the building work for September 2021.