Alderman White: Contractors are now on site to carry out roof replacements to upgrade a large area of the school including Art and Tech rooms, dining areas and the Hall. This work will be completed over the next few weeks and will enhance the efficiency and appearance of these areas. As part of our wider Federation project, we will be submitting a proposal to the Education Funding Agency to replace the English and Humanities block with a new building at the front of the school, to incorporate classrooms, reception and admin space, and staffrooms and offices. We will then refurbish the current admin block for music and performing arts. We expect to hear the outcome of the proposal in 2017, and I will let you know as soon as we do so.

The Bramcote School: At the end of this school year, we will be leaving The Bramcote School site, and relocating to the current Bramcote College site. We are making plans to ensure that the move is not disruptive for students, and that the new site is well-equipped and of sufficient quality. We expect to be on this site for a maximum of two years. We have now also started the design process for our new school and 6^th Form centre, and are working with architects to draw up plans. As part of this process, we will be consulting with staff and students, to make sure that we understand their wishes and priorities so that they form part of the brief. We also want to hear the views of our parents and our local community. It is a central part of our vision that our schools are at the heart of their community, and are assets for the whole community during and beyond the school day, so these views are important. I will let you know details of consultation events in due course, but they are likely to be early next term.

Following this, we will submit our proposals for planning approval in the Spring, and expect to receive this before the end of the Summer term. At this point we can start the tendering process for the new build, and move ahead with the sale of the land to finance the project. We plan to start the build early in 2018, with a view to full completion in September 2019 at the latest. I would stress to parents that the new building will take place away from the current college site in order to minimize any disruption to students, and we will not move in until the new school is completely ready.

Bramcote College: Our new 6^th Form will be constructed as part of the project above, but will retain a separate area and identity, with dedicated 6^th Form teaching, social and admin areas. Following the closure of the Bramcote School, we will provide a dedicated separate 6^th Form area on the current College site to ensure that Bramcote College retains its ethos as a 6^th Form college. The new centre will have facilities designed for modern post-16 education, including seminar rooms as well as classrooms and specialist areas.

Although it has taken a lot of patience and work to get this far, and much more is to come, the prize is great – buildings and facilities that reflect the our aspirations for students and the value that we place on their future.