School on course to take 300 more pupils

Plans to expand a Telford secondary school by an extra 300 places are on track to be completed by the start of the next school year, according to the local authority.

Telford and Wrekin Council said an extra 60 Year 7 pupils will be able to join Ercall Wood Academy in Wellington after the completion of an extended dining hall and three-story science block.

Over time, the number of students is expected to rise from the current 900 to 1200.

Ercall Wood Academy is one of five secondary schools in Telford and Wrekin run by the Learning Community Trust.

The borough council said the steel frame of the new block is complete and concrete staircases have been built. It is expected to be finished by summer 2025.

It said work on the single storey ground floor extension, which will provide an additional 128 spaces for lunchtime dining, is also well underway.

The school, which dates back to the 1940s, was completely rebuilt in 2014.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, cabinet member for education, said: “The expansion of the school will cater for the demand from people living locally and support the school’s continued growth.

“Having improved facilities and more space to cater for further students can only be a positive for the school.”