Building has started on a £24m expansion of Avon Valley School in Rugby, taking it from 1,100 to 1,400 pupils with 20 specialist places, due April 2028.
Builders are now on site at Avon Valley School & Performing Arts College, where a £24 million expansion will raise the school’s capacity from 1,100 to 1,400 pupils by April 2028.
The contractor, Willmott Dixon, confirmed the start of work in a press release on 7 October. It is building the scheme for Warwickshire County Council, which says on its school expansions page that the extra 300 places are needed “due to demand created by considerable development to the North of Rugby Town”.
What is being built
According to Willmott Dixon, the £24 million project includes:
- a substantial extension to the existing school
- a new three-storey teaching block
- additional curriculum space
- a new four-court sports hall
- external works and infrastructure around them
It will also create a 20-place specialist provision for pupils with communication and interaction needs. The county council describes this as resourced provision “for up to 20 pupils”.
Why Rugby needs the places
The press release says the expansion “has been driven by a shortage of Year 7 school places and a new housing development in the local area”. The council’s own page points to the same cause: the volume of building to the north of the town.
Cllr Wayne Briggs, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for children and families, education and SEND, said:
“Our local communities are growing, and it is vital for us as a council to support and facilitate that growth. Working collaboratively with partners such as Willmott Dixon is a key part of getting that delivery right.
“This expansion is a huge step in the right direction for the educational offering in Warwickshire, and we’re looking forward to unveiling the new facilities and seeing them in action.”
Lessons carry on during the build
The school stays open throughout. Michelle Cotterill, a director at Willmott Dixon, said each phase had been planned so that it can keep running safely:
“The expansion of Avon Valley School represents a significant investment from Warwickshire County Council to address the growing demand for secondary school places, and we’ve worked collaboratively with the council to design a project that can deliver just that.
“From the early concept stages all the way through to delivery and handover, we’re focused on creating a secondary school that enhances each pupil’s experience and the staff’s ability to provide high-quality education. Each phase of development has also been carefully considered to ensure the school can operate safely with minimal disruption throughout construction.”
The contract was awarded through Constructing West Midlands, a public sector building framework run by Solihull and Sandwell councils and Acivico, a company owned by Birmingham City Council. Willmott Dixon says it has worked on the framework since 2011. Its other work in Rugby includes Navigation Way, a £22 million scheme of 100 affordable homes for Rugby Borough Council.
What it means for you
- Families with children in Year 5 or younger are the ones most likely to feel the difference. The new building is due to be finished in April 2028. Neither the press release nor the council’s page says which Year 7 intake will be the first to grow, or how the 300 places will be spread across year groups.
- Parents of children with communication and interaction needs should note the 20 resourced places. The announcement does not say how they will be allocated; Warwickshire County Council’s SEND team is the place to ask.
- Current pupils and neighbours can expect building work on the site until spring 2028. Willmott Dixon says the phasing is designed to keep disruption to a minimum.
For the dates of this year’s holidays and training days, see our Rugby school term dates page.
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