By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
An academy trust has promised help find an alternative use for a brand new Nottingham school building that has been left unopened because it does not have enough pupils.
The 210-place Waterside Primary School, featuring a nursery, was due to open on the growing Trent Basin estate in September last year.
The project is being overseen by the Department for Education (DfE), while the Greenwood Academies Trust had been intending to run the school once it was open.
Residents in Trent Basin, on the north bank of the River Trent, west of Colwick, were told the opening was put on hold until the 2025/26 academic year.
But at the end of December the DfE said it has now decided against funding the opening of the school due to low pupil demand.
Greenwood Academies Trust said it was therefore forced to reluctantly pull out of the agreement.
However, the trust said in a statement it remains “dedicated” to supporting its communities, and will be recommending an alternative use for the site in due course.
A spokesperson for the Trust told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Throughout the planning process for Waterside Primary Academy, the Trust has been in regular contact with the Department for Education (DfE) and Nottingham City Council.
“In recent conversations, it has become apparent that, with surplus primary places in the area there is not sufficient demand for this school to fulfil the rigorous criteria for meeting place planning needs and that the DfE would not, therefore, put in place a funding agreement to open the school.
“As a result, the Trust made the difficult decision to reluctantly withdraw as the prospective operator of the school.
“As a Trust, we are dedicated to supporting our communities and we will continue to work closely alongside local partners to uphold this commitment.
“This includes recommending an alternate use for the site which will benefit the educational landscape of the area and we will be sharing more details of this proposal in due course.”
Parents living in Trent Basin spoke with the LDRS to express their frustration, with some families opting to leave the estate having only moved there because a new school would be opening for their children.
A Department for Education spokesperson previously said: “Ministers have accepted Greenwood Academies Trust’s request to withdraw the Waterside Primary pipeline project from the pre-opening stage.
“Our priority is to establish schools where there is a need for places and ensure government funding is targeted to where it is most needed.
“The demand for places at the proposed school has not materialised at the rate expected in Nottingham City Council’s basic need forecasts.”
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson added: “The Department for Education has confirmed that the proposed Waterside Primary Academy does not currently meet the rigorous criteria it sets for the funding of free schools and that the proposers, the Greenwood Academies Trust have decided to withdraw their application.
“We are in discussions with the department about the best way forward for the site.”
