Roadworks to begin in preparation for new school

Work to prepare a road network for the completion of a delayed £61m school is set to begin its next phase.

The work around the under-construction Oakley School in Bishops Tachbrook, Warwickshire, will start on 18 March and is scheduled to finish on 9 June.

It is the latest stage of the school’s construction, which was described as Warwickshire County Council's most significant investment ever in a single building.

It was originally due to open in September 2023 but it was delayed by a year, with pupils forced to begin their studies at nearby Myton School instead.

The council said the work would include building the school’s entrance, as well as improvements to the junction at Harbury Lane.

The authority said there would be some disruption, with a four-way traffic management system in place at Oakley Wood Road, Tachbrook Road and Harbury Lane.

A council spokesperson said: “It [the school] is a hugely exciting prospect for the area with a new all-through school taking in nearly 1,500 local school-aged children from nursery through to the end of secondary.

“But of course it will need a highway network that can serve such expansion, which we are carrying out.”

Once completed, the school would include a 34-place nursery, a 420-place primary school and 900-place secondary school.

The one-year delay of the school’s opening caused frustration among parents and pupils, according to Leamington and Warwick MP Matt Western.

He previously said families had moved into new housing estates nearby expecting to be able to send their children to the school in September 2023.

“Local children have been badly let down, their parents are understandably frustrated by the impact this will have on their education," he added.

The county council said commendable progress had been made but said the project encountered challenges including rising building material costs and construction expenses.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]