The Bath academy at Lansdown that closed last year as it was only 10% full is to temporarily house pupils at risk of permanent exclusion, the Bath Echo can reveal.
Abbot Alphege Academy at Beckford Drive in Bath
The £4 million Abbot Alphege Academy (AAA) at Beckford Drive opened in 2017 and closed a few months ago when the Department for Education agreed to an amalgamation with Weston All Saints Church of England Primary School (WASPS).
AAA, a CofE school in The Partnership Trust, opened through the free school route in response to a new estate of around 300 houses at the former Ensleigh Ministry of Defence site at Lansdown.
With room for up to 210 children, it was built on the former Royal High School playing field site next to the MoD.
However, projected numbers did not materialise, due to falling birth rates blamed on the cost-of-living crisis, and high interest rates.
The Hospital Education Reintegration Service (HERS) for children in Years 1 to 11 is based on the top floor of AAA and is provided by The Mendip School, which is also a member of The Partnership Trust.
Last December we reported that the AAA building would be moving into the control of Bath & North East Somerset Council which had committed to HERS remaining in the building for the remainder of the current academic year.
No information was forthcoming from the council at the time about what would become of the building.
The Bath Echo has since learned that the AAA site will be used for alternative provision (AP).
Alternative provision supports pupils who cannot attend mainstream education settings for health, emotional or behavioural reasons.
This week Councillor Paul May, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, confirmed to us: “We have written to residents to update them on plans to temporarily move the AP to Abbot Alphege Academy as part of our wider plans to redevelop the former site of Culverhay School.
“Moving the AP from the Culverhay site will allow the demolition of existing buildings, which in turn will enable the construction of two new AP and special free schools by the Department of Education.
“Importantly, this move will provide a more modern educational environment, both internally and externally, for our children and young people in the short term.
“It will also assist with delivering our ambition for Culverhay to future-proof education placements for our most vulnerable children and young people, which will, in turn, reduce costs for the local area and residents.”
