Sandy Secondary School - FAQs
What are you proposing to provide for the school?
Our intention is to provide additional specialist teaching rooms and larger more adaptable/flexible spaces for the students to learn in. These will meet the changing demands of the curriculum and increase the capacity of the school.
The proposed plans include a reconfiguration of the school, the construction of both a new teaching block and a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) block, plus two all-weather sports pitches. The latter would house the school’s new football academy that it is hoped will be to open to students who find mainstream school challenging, and who would benefit from a more vocational curriculum with specialist resources. Please see question 11 for more information on the football academy.
How will the students benefit from this proposed expansion?
The expansion will give students more specialist rooms and resources in subjects like Information and Communication Technology (ICT), food technology/design technology, science, dance/drama, art and photography. It will also provide a dedicated sixth form area and more purpose-built teaching spaces, which are well-ventilated and spacious.
How many additional places will be provided by the expansion?
The school will be able to accommodate a total of 1,200 pupils across years 7 to 11, and a maximum of 200 students in the sixth form.
Does the school and the Council have the space and the funds needed to provide these new facilities?
The results of the consultation will be reported to the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny on 9 March, 2021, and to the Executive on 13 April, 2021, where a decision will be made in relation to submitting a request for the capital required for the transformation. There is sufficient space within the school site to accommodate the proposed additional facilities.
When would the programme of works be completed?
Construction of both the new teaching block and the SEND block will begin in 2021 and will be completed and available for the autumn term in 2022.
Reconfiguration of the school’s existing building will begin after the completion of the 2 new blocks. Subject to obtaining all the necessary consents, it is proposed that all of the proposed works will be completed by summer 2023.
Who will oversee this work?
A specialist team of professionals will be assembled to carry out this work. There will be a project lead from Central Bedfordshire Council, plus a school team comprised of the Executive Principal and the school HR and Operations Manager.
Will the temporary units be removed once the building has been completed?
The intention is to eventually remove all temporary buildings from the school site.
My child currently attends Sandy Secondary School; how can I be assured that standards would be maintained during the building work?
The majority of the internal works to the existing building will be done during the school holidays, but we will ensure that noise and inconvenience to both staff and students is kept to a minimum if work is needed during term-time.
We will not allow lessons or exams to be disturbed and will work closely with the construction company. If necessary, work will be done to the main building outside school working hours
How will the eventual increase in numbers of pupils and staff impact on the school’s immediate neighbours?
Traffic management plans will be a key element in the process of getting permission for the building programme from the planning authorities.
The community currently uses the school’s sports hall and squash courts, will these facilities continue to be available for community use after the transformation?
The indoor sports facilities will continue to be needed for curriculum use, but as valued facilities for Sandy’s residents, they will also remain accessible to the community. We are working with the school and Sandy Town Council to consider the local leisure facilities offer and ensure there is no loss of facilities for the residents.
What are the plans for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
There are proposals for a school SEND block wrapped around a football academy. This has been led by Sandy Secondary School, who have successfully secured some funding from the Department for Education for their own pupils. The Council is also developing overarching SEND cluster proposals as part of the Schools for the Future programme, which are due to be published early in 2021.