A topping out ceremony has taken place to mark the progress made on a new Derby school. Oak Grange Primary School will open in September, ready for the new academic year.
The school at Boulton Moor is being built within the Snelsmoor Grange housing developments, The Meadows and Holbrook Grange. New developments at Snelsmoor Grange and Fellow Lands Way in Chellaston are creating 990 new homes, creating more demand for primary school places in the area.
Morgan Sindall Construction started work on the Oak Grange project last August. The topping out ceremony celebrated the completion of the external structure and roof of the building, which has been funded through Section 106 contributions from the housing developer.
East Midlands Education Trust, a partnership of 22 high-performing schools in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, has been chosen to open the school. Oak Grange Primary will build pupil numbers incrementally, increasing by one year group each year. When it opens in September, admissions will be for Nursery and Reception children only.
The school will then increase in size gradually each academic year until it reaches its capacity of 315 pupils, aged from 4 to 11 years, in September 2029.
The new school building has been designed to allow community use at evenings and weekends and the school's facilities will be made available for out-of-hours use by local community groups.
Councillor Evonne Williams, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills at Derby City Council said:
It’s wonderful to see Oak Grange Primary School reach this exciting milestone. The school will be at the heart of this new neighbourhood, becoming a hub not just for the children but the wider community.
Richard Fielding, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said:
We’re incredibly pleased to mark this important milestone at Oak Grange Primary School. It's great to see the building take shape and to have completed the external structure and roof.
This project is particularly exciting as it hasn't just been designed with pupils in mind, but for the whole community to utilise at evenings and weekends too. This will make it a real focal point for the area when it opens later this year. It’s a place we hope all local residents can enjoy.
Applications for Nursery and Reception places for September are open and two information events will be held to allow parents to find out more about the new school.
Headteacher designate Sarah Coleman said:
It’s very exciting to see the school building coming together. Walking through corridors and into classrooms makes Oak Grange Primary School very real. We can imagine the children playing, learning and growing and it will be an absolute privilege to be with them at the start of their journey in September.
Rob McDonough, Chief Executive of East Midlands Education Trust, added:
The Trust is delighted to be working so closely with Derby City Council on the creation of this new school for the Boulton Moor community. We are all looking forward to welcoming our first cohort of children into the school next year and we are determined to ensure they have a wonderful time with us as well as the very best possible education.
A school information evening will take place on Tuesday 14 March and a nursery information evening - aimed at parents whose children are three or turning three between now and August - on Tuesday 21 March.
The events will be at 5pm at Homefields Primary School, Chellaston, DE73 5NY. For more information, visit the Oak Grange Primary School website.