The Department for Education has approved the Greenwood Academies Trust’s application to open a new free school serving families at the new Trent Basin waterside neighbourhood in Nottingham. The new free school will open in September 2021 and will offer 420-places.

The Trust also intends to open a 60-place nursery alongside Waterside Primary Academy after consulting with the nursery sector locally to ensure there would be no negative impact on existing provision.

Graham Feek, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Greenwood Academies Trust, said:

“We are so excited that the Government has given us the go-ahead to set up Waterside Primary Academy. As with all our academies, we will ensure that Waterside delivers high-quality inclusive education to suit the 420 pupils and their individual needs so that they are all given the opportunities they deserve to achieve their potential. I would like to thank our partners in this project, Nottingham City Council and Blueprint, for their support and we look forward to working with them over the coming months to bring the school to fruition.”

Mike Hamlin, Chair of Greenwood Academies Trust said:

“Waterside Primary Academy will play an essential part in building and sustaining an exciting new community within Nottingham. We are very proud of the education we deliver to all the children and young people we are privileged to serve, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring they receive a great education both inside and outside the classroom – Waterside Primary Academy will be no different.”

Nottingham City Council Leader Cllr David Mellen said:

“Proposals for a new school in Nottingham’s newest neighbourhood are very welcome. We have long wanted to develop the Waterside area into a new sustainable community linked to the city centre and adjoining neighbourhoods like Sneinton. In our planning blueprint along with other features, such as transport links and high-quality homes, we included a school.

Greenwood Academies Trust has worked well with the council to develop the proposals, which will help to boost the viability of further development, as well as providing much-needed extra school places and a high-quality learning environment for local children. This comes on top of the £42m we have invested since 2009 to provide 5,000 additional primary places to meet rising demand and ensure that every child and young person has access to the very best facilities to help them reach their full potential.”

Sam Veal, Chief Executive of Blueprint, the award-winning regeneration developer behind the design-led, low-energy, Trent Basin, said:

“Trent Basin continues to focus on neighbourhood and this announcement is a significant step towards establishing a truly exceptional community with a clear identity and with its own sense of place. It will be amazing to have a new primary school on our doorstep, particularly to serve those young families that are now emerging. The Greenwood Academies Trust has an excellent reputation and we look forward to working in partnership with them, and our residents, to build not only the school but also a supporting community around it.”