Video: Multi-million pound development at Harborough's Welland Park Academy reaches next stage

A multi-million pound development at Welland Park Academy is well underway.

The steel frame of a new sports hall at the oversubscribed academy has now been constructed as part of works totalling £2.5million at the site.

The sports centre – a four-court badminton hall – will be used for the likes of netball and football and will be used alongside the school’s previous hall of the same size, also doubling provision.

Community groups including cricket and trampolining clubs will also be able to use the new facilities, which will include larger changing rooms.

Construction is set to be completed in January.

Physical education is hugely popular at Welland Park – which has some 960 students - with around 40 per cent of each year representing the school in a sport.

Headteacher Julie McBrearty said the development will improve PE provision, and comes the year the school gained its highest ever GCSE results.

She said: “The new Sports Hall will allow the ambitious PE department to realise an even greater number of training opportunities to practise with their highly successful teams, following the success of the class of 2022.

“As well as being crowned U16 County Rugby Champions, the Welland Park Academy class of 2022 took first place on the podium in the Area Athletics for both U15 and U17, and the school gained its highest ever GCSE results. The recently published performance tables confirm the excellent progress made in all areas of the curriculum.

“We are tremendously proud of the recently published progress data by the DFE. This reflects the hard work put in by students and staff as well as the support from parents, governors, and the whole community. Celebrating progress is so important and recognises how far each individual has come with us at Welland Park Academy.”

Further work is taking place across the site to build a new dining room, doubling provision and now enable 300 students to be seated at one time. Staff said it is ‘much needed’ as the school’s former offering was built in the 1930s.

An all-weather pitch is also set to be created, replacing the current facilities. There is also work underway to completely replace the schools heating system and electrics.”