Two city secondary schools given expansion go-ahead

EXPANDING: The Boulevard Academy

Two Hull secondary schools have been granted approval to expand in order to accommodate a growing demand for places.

The Boulevard Academy and Malet Lambert have both been given the expansion go-ahead by the Regional Schools Commission and the Department for Education (DfE).

The expansion of Boulevard, in west Hull, will increase pupil places from 660 currently to 900, with 720 being available from this September.

Malet Lambert, in east Hull, will expand from 1,600 places to 1,750, which will all be available from September.

Councillor Peter Clark, Hull City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Learning, Skills and Safeguarding Children, said: “The expansion of these secondary schools will see an additional 300 pupil places in the city, which is excellent news.

“We continue to work with academy trusts to ensure we can accommodate the rising numbers of children needing school places, whilst working to ensure as many children as possible have access to their preferred schools, providing the best education possible in the best learning environments possible.”

The expansion at Boulevard will include dedicated new classrooms for food technology and textiles, meaning the school will be able to offer courses in these subjects for the first time.

There will be an additional multi-use games area, improving the outdoor exercise spaces for students and enhancing the PE provision.

Two specialist music rooms, a library, art rooms and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) spaces will also be added, and computer science facilities will be improved.

MORE PUPIL PLACES: Malet Lambert School

Janice Mitchell, CEO and Principal of The Boulevard Academy, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be able to make this announcement.

“It has obviously been an incredibly challenging time for everyone at Boulevard, as it has been for every school in the country, but our students and staff have been fantastic throughout and I couldn’t be prouder of the way everyone has responded.

“Now, I’m thrilled to be able to share the incredibly exciting news that our expansion plans have been formally approved.

“This significant expansion of our facilities and provision will mean we are able to respond to the increasing demand for places at Boulevard and offer new career opportunities for our students.

“Here at Boulevard Academy, we are committed to providing our students with an outstanding, well-rounded education to give them the platform for success and this will help us do just that.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has played a part in making this happen. It has been wonderful to see so many smiles on people’s faces after returning to school and those smiles are a little wider right now.”

The Malet Lambert expansion will include a new large indoor multi-use area to assist with capacity during lunchtimes and exam periods, along with an increase to indoor sporting facilities, allowing pupils access to more sports.

There will also be five new general use classrooms.