Liverpool business academy to open early

Jun 22 2009 by Ben Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

A UNIQUE business academy is set to open in Liverpool three years early.

But the £25m south Liverpool super-school will initially be open on split sites, dividing older and younger children.

The joint Catholic and Church of England academy was due to open in 2013 to replace and meet the needs of the communities served by Allerton’s New Heys comprehensive and Garston RC secondary St Benedict’s which will close.

But the super-school is now due to open from September next year, under the name of Garston and South Liverpool Business and Enterprise Academy.

The council have plumped to open it on both the existing sites of the schools it is replacing – seeing no reason to stall a project which will have £2m pumped into it by chief sponsors, maintenance specialists Enterprise PLC.

The proposed set-up would mean 11 to 14 year-olds would be taught on the St Benedict’s site and 14 to 18 year-olds would go to New Heys.

All students would eventually move into a new academy to be built on the front of the St Benedict’s site by 2012.

The academy will share the two existing schools’ shared business and enterprise speciality catering for 900 pupils aged between 11 and16, and 200 post 16 places.

As well as providing sponsorship, Enterprise will have an input, particularly into the 14-18 curriculum, offering coaching in a bid to ensure students have the skills needed for industry.