Building News

The development of a new school for Bramcote College has been a long-term ambition for the Trust. It has needed the agreement of a number of external organisations, including the Department for Education (to be able to sell the unused fields adjacent to Coventry Lane), Nottinghamshire County Council (who own the ultimate freehold of the fields), Broxtowe Borough Council (who oversee development in the area) as well Sport England and the support of the local community. We are grateful for the help we have been given by all of the above to progress the project to a point where we are expecting to complete at the start of 2025.

The White Hills Park Trust are delighted to announce that Broxtowe Borough Council have approved the planning application for a complete new build of Bramcote College, which represents a major milestone in the project and is a significant step closer to delivering the school building that the students and local community deserve.

The funding for the new build of Bramcote College is from the proceeds of the sale of the school's unused and redundant playing fields, located to the north of the site and adjacent to Coventry Lane, which was transferred to the White Hills Park Trust from Nottinghamshire County Council.  Avant Homes are preparing a full planning application for the land to agree designs for a modern residential development of 457 dwellings, including open green spaces, and have launched a virtual exhibition and a chance to provide feedback before the full application is submitted.  The virtual exhibition, showing the site, contextual analysis, proposals and FAQs, can be accessed here.

On 15th July 2022 Bramcote College welcomed the public to its Summer Festival, and within the marketing for this, sent to all parents at Bramcote College and posted on social media, was an invitation to view an exhibition of the new build plans.  Photographs of the setup, including the looping presentation video used and copies of roll-up banners can be found below.  The content was published the same day on Bramcote College's website at https://bramcote.college/newbuild

First published on 15th July 2022 in issue 333 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and to all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the websites of the Trust  and each of its academies.  Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

As we near the end of term, there are a couple of important items I wanted to share with parents and our school communities. Although they are particularly relevant for our two secondary schools, they also have significance for the Trust as a whole.

Firstly, this week sees the publication of the latest Ofsted inspection report for one of our Trust schools, and the first Ofsted report since we began the expansion of the Trust. As such, it is an important moment for us, and gives a good indication of the effectiveness of our Trust schools. Alderman White was inspected in June, and very securely retained it’s Good judgement. I’d like to congratulate Mrs Mellors, all of her team and the Alderman White students on their continued success – it was a richly deserved judgement.

The report highlights just some of the many strengths of the school, including the excellent pupil behaviour, the broad curriculum, teachers’ deep understanding of their subjects and the high expectations of school leaders. Inspectors recognised the school’s strong sense of community, pupils’ pride in their school and the school’s very effective approach to safeguarding. During the inspection, many parents responded to the online survey, and the results were among the most positive that Ofsted have ever recorded. You can read the report on the school’s website.

The other significant news we have had recently is the progress we have been making with the Bramcote College new build. As you may be aware, we have been working for some considerable time on funding a new school through the sale of unused land. We have now reached the point where the new school design is complete and we are submitting planning permission. The land has been marketed and we have selected a buyer, a national 5- star house builder, which means that funding is in place, and we have signed an agreement with the County Council for the release of the land. The success of these complex negotiations means that the Trust as a whole continues on a very sound financial footing.

First published on 29th January 2021 in issue 274 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and to all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the websites of the Trust  and each of its academies.  Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

As many of you will know, over the last few years, we have been working to secure a new school building for Bramcote College, using the receipts from the sale of the land of former playing fields on Coventry Lane. It has always been a central part of our vision that our new school will be at the heart of our community, as it is for all of the schools in the Trust. The best way to ensure that this happens is to keep people informed and involved in defining the vision of our new school. One way we will do this is to invite parents and other local people to a termly meeting as we bring our new building to life.

First published on 11th December 2020 in issue 269 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and to all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the websites of the Trust  and each of its academies.  Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

Many of you will have followed the various twists and turns of our efforts to secure a new build for Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form for several years now. It is fair to say that we have had a few false dawns along the way, but it is nice to be able to share some good news, and to report a genuine milestone. 
At a meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Policy Committee on Wednesday, a resolution was passed unanimously which approved the sale of the council’s freehold of land on Coventry Lane to our Trust for £1, on the condition that we then market the land and use the proceeds to rebuild the College. Our solicitors are now drawing up the contract which will put this into action.  

First published on 16th October 2020 in issue 263 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form websites. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

I am writing to update you on the progress of our new build plans for Bramcote College. Last Autumn, we shared our plans for building a new school. I would like to thank everyone in our school community for your patience as we have worked on this, and I can reassure you that we have done everything possible to move forward.
I have been working closely with Nottinghamshire County Council officers and Council Members to drive the project forward and achieve our key purpose of building a brand new school and while I am frustrated this has not happened at the pace we expected, I am pleased we are now in a position to move forwards. I am grateful to the County Council for understanding the importance of having a suitable school building for the good of the entire community, and for working with us to overcome the obstacles.  

First published on 13th September 2019 in issue 220 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

This week, we signed off on the design of the new Bramcote College Building. Over the last few months, school and Trust staff have worked with the architects from ARK partnerships and the team from Wates, who will be carrying out the build, to design a new school of superb quality which will be a wonderful resource for our community. We have spoken to staff and members of the community, and also considered the views of all stakeholders, including students to make sure that all voices are represented.

First published on 28th June 2019 in issue 215 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

This week saw another big step forward in the new Bramcote College build project. On Tuesday, we had the first of the consultation events that will take place as we develop the design. We were delighted to see a large group of parents, carers and members of our local community who came to see the early plans and give us their views. They were able to talk to Stella Rousseau, principal architect who was there with other colleagues from ARC Partnership, as well as representatives from Wates, the main contractor, and Nottinghamshire County Council, who are providing the up-front funding for the project.

We have now settled on the basic layout and configuration of the building, established a timeline and begun to design some of the internal spaces. Over the next few weeks, the way that the building is laid out will become more detailed, including the precise location of classrooms, offices and social spaces within the school. As the design is taking place, we have been able to establish some key principles:

First published on 24th May 2019 in issue 211 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

After a long and sometimes frustrating period of waiting, excitement is building as we are now planning in earnest for our new Bramcote College building. As you know, Nottinghamshire County Council have committed to providing the up-front funding for the new school, and we have been busy securing the necessary permissions and agreements so that the building work can begin. Over the next couple of weeks, there are a number of surveys that are taking place that will inform the design and construction, including ecology surveys, particularly important in a location like ours. We have also had on-site visits by contractors to discuss access, location of builders’ compound, deliveries and so on.

First published on 5th April 2019 in issue 206 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

It has been a little while since I wrote to you about the progress towards our new building and a lot has been happening in recent weeks and months and it’s probably a good time for an update.
First of all, some important decisions have been made that pave the way for the building to happen. Following hearings in December, it has been recommended by the Local Plan Inspector that the area covered by Bramcote College is removed from the Green Belt. This paves the way for the County Council to develop our former playing fields, in return for funding our new school. The significance of this is that funding is now in place. Furthermore, the Inspector made it clear that investment in new school buildings should not be delayed waiting for receipts from property sales. Nottinghamshire County Council will fund and cash flow the development of the school and will be reimbursed from receipts from the future development of the residential allocation.

First published on 16th November 2018 by Nottinghamshire County Council and in issue 189 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, the Bramcote College and Bramcote College  Sixth Form websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.

Click here to access the original Press Release from Nottinghamshire County Council.

County Councillors have agreed to enter into a partnership with the White Hills Park Federation Trust which will see the construction of a new secondary school in Bramcote.

Nottinghamshire County Council's Policy Committee gave the go ahead to the proposals for a new school at its meeting on 14 November., which will be funded through the sale of nearby land for new housing.

The new school, which will be built on the same site as the current Bramcote College at Moor Lane, will have provision for 600 places initially with capacity to expand by a further 150 places, depending on future demand. A new 200-place sixth form college will also be built as part of the development.

Written by Jamie Barlow for Nottinghamshire Live.  Published on the Nottingham Post website on  16th October 2018.

Original article can be found by clicking here.

Plans for the multi-million-pound new Bramcote College building are due to be finalised next month.

Councillors will meet to discuss issues including the funding of the project and timescales - so the plans can get to the formal planning stage.

The plan is to demolish and re-develop them in a bid to create a "state-of-the-art education facility incorporating a secondary school, sixth form centre and associated facilities".

First published on 13th July 2018 in issue 178 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of The Federation Newsletter are available on request.

As you know, in recent years, White Hills Park Trust have been working on ambitious plans to rebuild Bramcote College as an all-through 11-18 school, to be funded by the sale of former playing fields on Coventry Lane. I know that parents will be keen to know how the project is progressing. Although it has been frustrating that we have had little visible progress in recent months, I would like to reassure you that we have been working to secure the necessary permissions and prepare the planning application.

First published on 21st April 2017 in issue 128 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of The Federation Newsletter are available on request.

On Wednesday evening we hosted a consultation event to showcase the designs for the new school building which will house students from The Bramcote School and Bramcote College. It was an extremely positive and popular event and there was a great deal of enthusiasm from the many people who attended. The plans on show were the detailed plans for the new school and college, and the outline plans for the housing development on Coventry Lane, which is the ‘enabling’ development that will fund the new building. We have now posted the plans on the Federation’s website (goo.gl/qcw84e), and I would encourage parents and students to have a look for yourselves.

First published on the website of The White Hills Park Federation Trust on 20th April 2017.

The White Hills Park Federation Trust are pleased to present proposals for the redevelopment of the Bramcote College site, Moor Lane, Bramcote. Proposals include the demolition and redevelopment of the existing college buildings to provide a new state of the art education facility incorporating a secondary school, sixth form centre and associated facilities. In order to finance these ambitious redevelopment proposals an existing area of former school playing fields, located adjacent to Coventry Lane, will be developed for up to 500 residential properties with associated access, infrastructure, open space and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS).

First published on 12th April 2017 via the social media (Facebook & Twitter) accounts of The White Hills Park Federation Trust, The Bramcote School, Bramcote College, and Alderman White School.  Also, emailed to all parents/carers of every student within The White Hills Park Federation Trust for whom we hold a valid email address.

Invitation to a Community Exhibition Consultation
New School & Residential Development
Moor Lane, Bramcote, Nottingham

This event will provide an opportunity to meet representatives from the Project Team, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We hope that you will be able to attend, so that we may learn about any local issues that may need to be considered before the application is submitted.

The exhibition will be held on:
Wednesday 19th April 2017
from 3pm - 7pm at Bramcote College
Moor Lane, Bramcote, Nottingham NG9 3GA

First published on the website of The White Hills Park Federation Trust on 27th February 2017 in line with reference in previous article: "The formal consultation letter will be published on our websites from Monday"
As a result of the earlier significant change application resulting in the re-location of Bramcote School to the Bramcote College site in Autumn 2017 and the closure of the Bramcote School site, The White Hills Park Federation Trust have undertaken some significant work in relation to the re-provision of the Bramcote School.

Both the Bramcote School and Bramcote College sites have surplus playing field land, and therefore the detached playing field adjacent to Coventry Lane has been identified for disposal to support the re-provision of the Bramcote School which will result in improved facilities for the student, school and the local community.

Notice is hereby given that the White Hills Park Federation Trust intends to apply to the Secretary of State for the disposal of the detached playing fields adjacent to Coventry lane under Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010 and Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.  This area is approximately 10 Hectares of land, which has not been used for over 8 years.  Discussions are being held with both Broxtowe Borough Council and Nottingham County Council with respect to the future use of this land.

Notice is also given that The White Hills Park Federation Trust intends to apply to the Secretary of State for the return of the lease of the main Bramcote School site to Nottingham County Council under Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010.  This is approximately 4.7 hectares and incorporates only the school buildings.   No decision has been taken at this time regarding the future use of this site.

The consultation period will run from Monday 27th February to Sunday 9th April inclusive.  The White Hills Park Federation Trust would like to receive your response should you either support or reject the proposals above, and would be very grateful to any parents, friends or members of the local school community who take the time to respond to the short survey.  We will also be asking parents to give their views at any school events that are held during the consultation period, and there will also be a public consultation event on Wednesday 29th March 2017* if you wish to find out more about the proposals, see the detail of the school plans, and give your comments and suggestions. This will be an opportunity to see the whole project coming to life, and to understand how the new schools will look and operate.

The online consultation can be accessed via the following link: https://goo.gl/3RiRO7

*Public consultation event date changed to Wednesday 19th April 2017

First published on 24th February 2017 in issue 122 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of The Federation Newsletter are available on request.

As you will know from recent Newsletters, our buildings project is progressing rapidly at the moment, and we are now entering the detailed school design stage. Although recent progress has been extremely encouraging, there is a lot to do in a relatively short space of time to meet our target of being in the new buildings by September 2019, including obtaining the necessary agreements, marketing and selling land, completing the design of the school, vacating The Bramcote School, carrying out public consultations, engaging a contractor, carrying out surveys and so on. Many of these things are happening simultaneously, and indeed many have already begun.

Over the next six weeks, we will be having the first of the formal legal consultations that will form part of the process. We are asking for your views on two aspects of our plans, both of which are essential to delivering the overall project. Firstly, the proposal to sell the former playing fields on Coventry Lane. This is the land that will be sold to finance the development of our new schools. Although it is in the ownership of the Federation Trust, it has not been used as a school playing field for many years, and has been identified by Broxtowe Council as a suitable site for housing.

Secondly, we are also seeking views on the proposed move from the Bramcote School site, which would mean returning the lease of the site of the existing school buildings to the Local Authority. It would not affect the ownership or use of the running track and playing fields on Moor Lane adjacent to Bramcote Hills Primary School. These will remain available for the use of our students, and the students of Bramcote Hills Primary and Foxwood Schools.

First published on 13th January 2017 in issue 117 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of The Federation Newsletter are available on request.

Last week, I wrote about the excellent progress we are making with our new buildings. We are very keen to receive input from our parents and members of the local community. We have a short survey that can be accessed via the Buildings and Improvements pages of our website* – we would be very pleased to hear your views.

*Survey now closed.  20/02/2017

First published on 6th January 2017 in issue 116 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of The Federation Newsletter are available on request.

First of all, I would like to wish all of our families and friends a very happy and successful 2017 from everyone at White Hills Park – I hope and trust you had a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas season.

On arriving at Bramcote College today, many of the students will have seen workmen around the site, carrying out the detailed topographical survey that will form part of the planning application for our new school buildings. It is an incredibly exciting start to 2017 to see this vital project moving forward so well and we are now looking forward to developing and submitting detailed plans.

First published on 2nd December 2016 in issue 113 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address, They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue. Archive copies of The Federation Newsletter are available on request.

As you know, we have exciting plans for the development of the school buildings in our Federation. Over the next few years, we will completely rebuild the large majority of our school buildings and refurbish and upgrade all other areas that are not sufficiently high quality and fit for purpose. The project continues to gather momentum, and we are now entering a very exciting period.

First published on 16th September 2016 in issue 103 of the Federation Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and ALL parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Federation Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address, They also published on the Alderman White School, The Bramcote School and Bramcote College websites for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of issue.

As you know, over the last couple of years, we have been involved in negotiations which will result in the rebuilding or extensive refurbishment of buildings in all parts of our Federation. We intend to rehouse The Bramcote School students in a brand new school on the Bramcote College site, alongside a new purpose-built sixth form college. We will also upgrade or replace all of the buildings at Alderman White. In this way, we intend to ensure that our students, and future generations of students are taught in the best possible conditions. It is a hugely exciting vision, and one which has generated great enthusiasm from students, staff and parents.

First Published on 18th March 2016 on Alderman White School and The Bramcote School Websites

We have opened a consultation document, attached below. Please return via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The consultation is now open and will run until Sunday 1st May. Thank you for your interest and support.

As you know, we recently announced our plans for Phase 1 of our new school building project. This involves moving out of The Bramcote School site and relocating the students in the current Bramcote College building, and using the proceeds of the sale to build a new 6th Form building. We propose to move from the current Bramcote School site at the end of the next school year, in July 2017. I have had many conversations with staff, students, parents and members of the local community since our announcement, and I am delighted with the positive response.