A secondary school has been granted permission to build two new temporary buildings to take on nearly 200 more students.

The new temporary modular buildings will allow King’s Leadership Academy, currently based on Lever Edge Lane, to accommodate a total of 180 additional pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 with the equivalent of 16 full times members of staff.

This comes ahead of a planned move to a larger new permanent school site on Freshfield Avenue in time for the start of term in September 2023.

Principal David Crosby said: “King’s Leadership Academy is committed to providing a high quality education to its pupils and continuation of the temporary use of the site for one third of the school year to ensure that Bolton’s basic educational needs can be achieved.

“The committee report demonstrates this is something that is clearly recognised by council’s asset management team, confirming that King’s Leadership Academy provides much needed school place which would otherwise be at best difficult and likely impossible to accommodate elsewhere in the short term.”

King's Leadership Academy Principal David Crosby

The school currently as 540 pupils on roll anticipates it will have 720 on roll by September.

Mr Crosby explained to Bolton Council’s planning committee at a meeting last Thursday that the opening hours of the school would “continue to permanently be staggered” to avoid conflicting with other nearby schools in order to allay concerns about extra congestion in the area.

He also confirmed that the school has secured an offsite drop off and pick up location at Deane and Derby Cricket Club which staffed by employees of the school who will escort pupils on foot from the cricket club to the school and then back again in the afternoon.

Cllr Andy Morgan said that the new school places would be “vital” to the next academic year.

The school is planning to move into a new permanent site next year

The bid also included an extension for an extra year of the temporary site that the school was already using in order to continue teaching children there until the school moves to its new permanent home in 2023.

Ultimately, Bolton Council’s planning committee unanimously decided to approve the bid.

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