A brand-new multi-academy trust secondary school opened its doors for the first time this month, and we were delighted to play our part in helping the school prepare for its grand opening.
West Bromwich Collegiate Academy opened to 175 year 7 pupils on Wednesday 4th September 2019. Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust will run the school, who have a proven track record of outstanding Oftsed inspections for schools in Smethwick, Sandwell and the wider Black Country area.
The academy is three storeys tall with 15 classrooms, a large dining hall, a library, and even includes a suite for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs. Each year, another set of pupils will enrol until it reaches its capacity of 750, with the academy hosting an open evening for years 5 and 6 pupils last week.
Although the academy already includes dedicated science rooms, a second phase of construction is slated to begin in July 2020 which will expand the academy for its future intake of pupils and includes plans for a fully-fledged science department. This expansion will open September 2021.
The academy’s staff worked tirelessly over the summer to prepare for opening, and we were delighted to help play our part in supporting the science team in their preparations.
We were asked by the academy to provide consultation and offer advice on what will work best for their setup. This included supplying their furniture and racking, as well as fully stocking the prep room ready for this year’s science lessons.
As the science classrooms don’t have a gas supply, these cartridge burners are an ideal alternative to Bunsen burners for the academy.
Sara Burns, our Territory Manager for the Midlands and North Wales, was on hand every step of the way to support the academy.
Talking about the academy opening, Sara said: It’s satisfying being able to take on a project like this and see it through from start to finish, supporting the development of a brand new school which will serve the community for many years to come.
This human skeleton model was just one of many products we stocked the prep room with.
As a new academy they had to start from scratch, so it was also exciting being able to take a look at their entire setup and supply them with equipment for all aspects of their science education,
Sara added.
We’re looking forward to seeing how West Bromwich Collegiate Academy progresses and to supporting their science education needs throughout the future.
