Newbury’s newest primary school, Highwood Copse is taking shape

West Berkshire Council have teamed up with Newbury College to deliver a great new learning space for children in the town.

The school, initially will welcome up to 30 Reception pupils in September 2020, with a new intake each year and all year groups in place by 2026.

Parents and children interested in attending the school will have the opportunity to visit the site and watch the building evolve; entering the completed school as founder members in September 2020.

Local contractor Feltham Construction is progressing well with the build, which is planned for completion in the summer. The project was temporarily put on hold when the previous contractor, Dawnus, unexpectedly went into administration earlier this year. As a result of the delay caused by this, rectification work needed to restart the build due to weather damage and some defective work issues, the cost of building the new school has increased by £1.7m.

The council acted quickly to find a new way to fund the project and a new contractor (Feltham) to ensure it would be completed.  The additional money is coming from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a contribution paid by local developers to deliver improvements in our communities.

A good primary education is an important first step in helping children to reach their full potential. It’s something which is really important to us so of course it is exciting to see this school back on track.

Feltham Construction is making great progress with the building, and we’re working closely with them and co-ordinating with the Academy Trust to ensure pupils and parents are well-informed in selecting their preferred school places.

Dominic Boeck, Executive Member for Children & Young People at West Berkshire Council

I’m delighted to see this important project making progress. The planned new school is taking shape, and we look forward to the building being handed over to the Trust in good time for a really positive start in September 2020.

Iain Wolloff, Chair of Trustees for the Academy Trust

For enquiries regarding admissions, please email [email protected] or call the Highwood Copse Admissions Team (01635) 845000