A brand-new school in the Gateford area of Worksop welcomed families and special guests to a celebration marking the school’s first term.
Whipman Woods Flying High Academy opened its doors to its first cohort of primary pupils in September 2024. The academy is a member of The Flying High Partnership, the multi-academy trust selected by the Department for Education, and supported by Nottinghamshire County Council, to run the state-of-the-art school based on Gatekeeper Way, Worksop.
The event was attended by families and friends, members of The Flying High Partnership, councillors, architects and builders alike, said Pat Dubas, Headteacher. “Everyone who has played a role in the creation of this wonderful school joined us to mark this very special occasion. Our children, who we must remember have only attended their new school for 3 ½ weeks, are already incredible ambassadors for their new school.”
Children gathered to sing to assembled guests, gave solo music performances and speeches. “The children are the ones who will shape the character, the enjoyment, and the warmth of our new school,” said Pat, “and they have made an astonishing start already, we are so proud of them. Our staff team are grateful to everyone who is supporting our new school. Our children and their families deserve the very best on offer.”
Chris Wheatley OBE is CEO of The Flying High Partnership and says this is the third new school the multi-academy trust has created in partnership with the Department for Education and Nottinghamshire County Council. The first such school created has recently achieved an Outstanding grade in its first Ofsted inspection.
Chris said, “We hold equally high aims for Whipman Woods Flying High Academy, and everyone attending the launch today agrees it’s off to a flying start!
“It is wonderful to see the confidence and enjoyment of the children, -and our invited guests at the launch were rightly impressed. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this fabulous school. It has a staff team and leadership of the highest calibre, who will champion every child to achieve their full potential, in a happy, state of the art new building.
“Whipman Woods Flying High Academy is on track to becoming a beacon of learning and a source of pride for all of us, and most importantly of all, for the community it serves.”
Councillor Sam Smith, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said: “I was absolutely delighted to attend the official opening of the new Whipman Woods Flying High Academy and meet the children, school staff and our partners for this significant milestone.
“We have invested more than £11 million in delivering this fantastic project, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring children across Nottinghamshire have access to a good school close to where they live.
“It’s vital that every child, no matter what their background, gets the best possible education, in the best possible setting.
“Schools are at the heart of communities and the new Whipman Woods Flying High Academy will help to meet the demand for school places brought about by new housing developments, such as the one in Gateford, which is providing 210 primary places with room to expand if needed.
“Whipman Woods Flying High Academy will be a great addition to the county’s family of schools, as well as a huge benefit to this new community where many new families have moved to.”
The school build costs were funded by the council, the DfE and Section 106 money, received from housing developers. It was designed, cost and project managed by Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE, and built to the agreed DfE specification by Arc Partnership’s delivery partner, Morgan Sindall Construction.
Sara Williams, Deputy Managing Director at Arc Partnership, said: “It is fantastic to see the Whipman Woods Flying High Academy officially open its doors to students.
“From the outset, Arc Partnership were commissioned to provide a school that delivered real value. In addition to the new school being designed and constructed to the highest standard, it has achieved an A+(Net Zero) energy certification, which will continue to provide the Trust and school with significant energy and cost savings for many years to come. We’re proud to be part of this great project and have enjoyed working together with the County Council, Morgan Sindall and the Trust to deliver it for the community.”
Richard Fielding, Area Director for Morgan Sindall said: “We are immensely proud to have delivered the Whipman Woods Flying High Academy project. This state-of-the-art primary school represents a significant investment in the future of Gateford and the wider Worksop community.
“Working in close collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council, Arc Partnership, and The Flying High Partnership, we’ve created a modern learning environment that will serve up to 315 primary students and 26 nursery children. The successful completion of this project demonstrates our commitment to building high-quality educational facilities that meet the growing needs of local families.”
Dave Morris, Estates Project & Development Manager at The Flying High Partnership said, “Having Whipman Woods ready for our children on such a short timescale, and to such a high standard from day one, is an incredible achievement for all involved.
“It was a pleasure working with Nottinghamshire County Council and Morgan Sindall, and the school team have done a brilliant job of bringing the environment alive from the great foundations given them. The Flying High Central team, particularly Operations, also deserve great credit for getting everything in place for the school’s opening.”
