A UNIQUE business academy is a step closer to opening in Liverpool after winning government support.
Last night Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls and Schools Minister Jim Knight gave their approval for education chiefs to go ahead and develop a detailed feasibility study and business plan for the south Liverpool “super school”.
As part of a £485m transformation of the city’s secondary education, Liverpool council – with the support of church leaders – proposes to build an academy specialising in business and enterprise in Garston by 2013.
The academy would replace Allerton’s New Heys comprehensive and Garston RC secondary St Benedict’s which would close.
The new joint Catholic and Church of England Academy would be created on the St Benedict’s site in Garston to meet the needs of the communities currently served by the two schools.
The academy would share the two existing schools’ shared business and enterprise specialism catering for 900 11-16 year olds and 200 post 16 places.
Maintenance specialists Enterprise PLC will be the chief sponsors with the local authority, Liverpool university, and both Liverpool’s Catholic Archdiocese and Church of England Diocese acting as co-sponsors.
