£14 million expansion to Birmingham school approved

More than 400 extra pupil spaces at Rockwood AcademyA £14m expansion to Rockwood Academy has been approved by Birmingham City Council bosses.The redevelopment will see capacity at the Alum Rock -based secondary school increase from 648 pupils to 1,050.The council’s cabinet this week (Tuesday) agreed the full business case which is to be funded by the Department for Education’s basic needs grant.A planning application has also been submitted which states an administration building is to be demolished to make way for a new two-storey teaching block.Some further buildings are also to be bulldozed to accommodate more parking on the site.It is expected planning permission will be granted by the council at the end of May with building work beginning in July.The aim is for the project to be completed by September 2020.The planning application includes a number of mock-up images showing what the new facility could look like.