A ceremony has taken place on the site of the new Bradford Forster Academy on Fenby Road, Bradford, where contractor Wates Construction has started to deliver a new 1,050-capacity school building for students aged 11 to 16 years.

Bishop Tom Butler – the Acting Bishop of Bradford - joined Academy sponsors: Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT), Integrated Bradford LEP and Bradford Metropolitan District Council, to mark the start of construction on the project. The Academy is named after the Bradford MP William Forster who championed education for all in the Education Act he introduced in 1870.


Bradford Forster Academy will be a new 7,700 sq m seven-form entry school which is scheduled to open for the new school year in 2015, with 210 Year 7 pupil places in the first intake. It is expected that the Academy will reach full capacity by September 2019.

Wates Construction is the main contractor to build the new £12m school. Alongside the main school, Wates will also build an indoor sports facility with a four-court multipurpose hall that will be available for community use.

Throughout construction Wates has pledged to utilise the building works to create training and employment opportunities for local people, including a series of practical work experience placements on site.

David Price, Business Unit Director, Wates Construction, Yorkshire, commented: "The start of construction is always a very exciting time as all project partners come together to see the plans for a new development begin to come to life. We have and will continue to work closely with Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, Integrated Bradford and Bradford Metropolitan District Council to ensure that Bradford Forster Academy will fulfil the shared vision for high quality education for the young people of Bradford."

(CD/MH)