John Port Spencer Academy Public Consultation – Site Expansion

Background & Context

It is proposed to provide additional teaching accommodation at John Port Spencer Academy in Etwall.

Expansion is needed to meet increased demand for student places created by new housing development in the surrounding area. It is proposed to increase the Pupil Admission Number (PAN) from 360 student to 420 students in a phased and incremental development of the site. Providing additional accommodation at John Port Spencer Academy will create sufficient student places in the area to avoid local children having to travel out of catchment for their education.

A comprehensive feasibility study has been undertaken to develop an exciting new master plan for John Port Spencer Academy. The proposals have been carefully developed to achieve the following:

• To provide John Port Spencer Academy with sufficient teaching space and student places for local children for both 11-16 and Post 16 education.
• To mitigate travel and parking impacts through increasing car parking capacity. A specialist highways consultant was appointed to advise on expanding car parking to the west of the leisure centre to provide additional car parking spaces.
• To enhance the quality of education by providing state of the art teaching facilities. The proposals will significantly improve the provision for Science, Art, Technology, Post 16 and dining areas.

The redevelopment of the site will be paid for from Section 106 funding generated from already consented local housing development.

The Proposals

In summary, it is proposed to redevelop the John Port Spencer Academy site as follows:

1. New car park to support expansion and to mitigate any highways and parking impacts.
2. New build science extension to provide a further four science classrooms and supporting accommodation.
3. New build Post 16 extension to provide enhanced teaching, study and social areas.
4. Reconfiguration of the existing Hathersage building to provide enhanced art and teaching accommodation.
5. Reconfiguration of the existing Edale building to convert surplus staff and administrative areas into art and general teaching accommodation.
6. Conversion of other staff and admin areas into teaching accommodation.
7. New purpose built dining building to provide enhanced catering facilities.
8. Reconfiguration of the existing Derwent building to enhance technology classrooms.

Consultation Process

The full consultation will run for four weeks in term time from Monday 25th April 2022. We are inviting interested parties to visit the academy on Thursday 28th April in our examination centre from 3-6pm. At this meeting, there will be an opportunity to see and discuss the plans; and to express your views about the development.

If you are unable to attend the consultation evening, a comments form is available here: Consultation Comments Form

To view the masterplan, please click on this link: Public Consultation Masterplan – JPSA

The consultation will close on Monday 23rd May 2022 and comments received after this date will not be considered.