£25m academy plans unveiled
16/11/2007
These are the first images of the new £25million Pennywell Academy which will open its doors in just over 12 months.
Trust bosses have also appointed a chief executive for the school.
Pennywell Academy, sponsored by housing group gentoo and Sunderland City Council, along with a personal contribution from former Black Cats chairman Bob Murray, will be open to pupils aged four to 16.
Formed from the existing Pennywell and Quarry View schools, it will open in the existing school buildings in 2008, and is scheduled for completion in 2009.
Today, the Academy Trust has released an artist's impression of the school and named its new head as Paul Prest. He will take up his post in January.
Paul is headteacher of a primary school in Doncaster, his third headship. He has also worked on a major project to improve educational achievement in primary and secondary schools in Leeds.
Speaking after learning of his appointment, Mr Prest said: "I am very excited about what we can achieve with the academy.
"The gentoo employees I have met have been fantastic with their enthusiasm and support for how we are going to transform educational achievement in this local community."
Gentoo chief executive, Peter Walls, said: "We are absolutely delighted to appoint Paul as the chief executive for the academy.
"We look forward to working closely with him to develop this fantastic resource for the local community."
Once open, the new academy will be made up of a number of sections catering for a specific age range in a bid to best meet pupils' needs.
Learning to Grow will cater for younger pupils, Learning to Learn will be a base for 10 to 13-year-olds and the Learning to Live section will provide for 14 to 16-year-olds.
Students will also have access to the wider benefits of the city's 14 to 16 partnership.
Plans for the academy also include a theatre, recording studio, a life skills centre, sports hall and gym, arts centre, cybercafé and innovation centre.
Pat Havord, head of corporate planning at gentoo, said: "This will be a wonderful building and a tremendous resource for the local community.
"It will be a symbol of everything gentoo stands for – investment in people and property."
Sunderland council leader Bob Symonds, said: "We are delighted to have appointed an excellent chief executive for Pennywell's new academy in Paul Prest.
"We are looking forward to working with Paul in shaping this flagship academy, which we hope will lead the way for all other Sunderland model academies."
Construction company Balfour Beatty has been given the contract for the £100million design and build of the first phase of the £120million Building Schools for the Future programme in the city.
Pennywell is the first school to see work start, and forms the foundation of gentoo's £60million regeneration of the Pennywell area.
After work on the Pennywell Academy gets under way, Castle View Secondary School and Hylton Red House School will close a year later in August 2009 and reopen as two separate academies, sponsored by Northumbrian Water and Leighton Group respectively.
The full article contains 520 words and appears in Sunderland Echo newspaper - www.sunderlandecho.com
Last Updated: 16 November 2007 1:58 PM