FEATURED STORY

The Academy Opens!

It's cost nearly £30m and has been eagerly long-awaited, but on Friday 11 September the first students stepped inside The Milton Keynes Academy. 

 "It's a tremendously exciting day for us all," said Principal Lorna Caldicott, "We're delighted that students now have the opportunity to enjoy an outstanding learning experience in a truly magnificent building, fully equipped with all the latest facilities and resources."

The Academy, which is based at Leadenhall, has already experienced success as it has been over-subscribed with all of its 1,500 places for 11-18 year olds filled. It will employ more than 200 teachers and support staff. At the heart of the new school is an Enterprise Hub designed to play a major role in delivering the Academy's Business and Enterprise specialism.

Students will spend most of their time in year group ‘learning villages' and then move to specially equipped areas of the Academy including a suite of seven science laboratories, a cricket oval, an athletics track, and a film and recording studio

Chair of Governors and representative of sponsor, Edge, Peter Mitchell said: "The Academy will be a leading, visionary school where students will be offered many different educational paths to success, including practical and vocational learning. We will ensure that they receive high-quality work experience and mentoring in real businesses to give them the skills employers need."

The Milton Keynes Academy is the first school in the UK to open under the Partnerships for Schools (PfS) ‘Design and Build' national framework, designed to streamline and accelerate delivery of the academies programme nationwide

The Academy is sponsored by independent education foundation Edge,. It was developed by Marriot Construction, the operating division of Keir Regional Ltd.