The Department for Education (DfE) has officially confirmed its intention to construct a new £50 million free school in Walsall, a project set to deliver 1,000 much-needed secondary school places for the local area.
Location and Details of the New Build
The proposed site for the major educational investment is at Reedswood Park. This location has a varied history, having once been the home of Reedswood Golf Course until its closure in 2007, and prior to that, the site of Birchills Power Station before its demolition in 1987. Following the golf course closure, trees were planted to create a woodland commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
The new facility will be an inclusive mainstream secondary school featuring sixth form provision and will include 24 places dedicated to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It is one of only 16 new schools selected for development across the whole of England.
Controversy Surrounding the Reedswood Park Site
The choice of location has sparked significant local debate and opposition. The park itself has held the prestigious Green Flag status for the past three years, an award managed by Keep Britain Tidy. Critics, including Walsall and Bloxwich MP Valerie Vaz, argue that building on this green space is misguided.
Ms Vaz has repeatedly called for the government to abandon plans for the woodland site, suggesting instead that the vacant Sneyd Comprehensive building on Vernon Way should be repurposed. She has also raised concerns about accessibility to the Reedswood Park location, citing a DfE feasibility study in autumn 2023 that left the area near the canal towpath inaccessible due to a mud swamp, and has controversially compared the project's procurement to the "covid VIP lane".
Former local councillor Chris Jones described the park as a "living and developing tribute" to the late Queen, highlighting the perceived contradiction with the development plans.
Delivery and Official Support for the Project
Despite the opposition, Walsall Council has welcomed the investment, clarifying that the funding comes directly from central government and is ring-fenced for creating new school provision, not for updating existing schools. The educational partner chosen to deliver the school is the Windsor Academy Trust, which already runs two primary academies in the borough: Goldsmith Primary Academy and Rivers Primary Academy.
Councillor Mark Statham, the council's portfolio holder for children's services, said the new school would help manage long-term demand for places and was the result of substantial data analysis to ensure places are located where they are most needed.
Dawn Haywood, Chief Executive of Windsor Academy Trust, expressed pleasure at being selected as the education partner, stating the project would build upon the trust's existing excellent work in Walsall.
