Council approves £240,000 to fit out new primary school in Edwinstowe

The funds will be allocted to Thoresby Vale Primary School for new furniture and ICT infrastructure before its first intake of pupils.

Construction is currently under way for the school, which is on Lidgett Lane, in Edwinstowe.

The new school has 210 pupil spaces and is expected to open its doors for intake in September 2025.

The funding will be granted to Diverse Academies Trust, which has been selected to run the new school.

Funding will be made available from the Council’s School Places programme and a Grant Funding Agreement will be prepared in favour of the Diverse Academies Trust (DAT).

Thoresby Vale Primary School is part of a massive development in Thoresby Vale.

Harworth Developments is funding the build of the school on a “‘forest school’ basis, with a focus on outside education and play”, council documents say.

Thorseby Vale Primary School says on its website: “Our academy will be surrounded by woodlands and wildflower meadows, offering children the chance to learn and play in nature.

“We will also have a dedicated food production area and orchard, along with a rain garden featuring water channels, wetland plants, and stepping stone paths, all fed by rainwater from the academy roof.”

Developer Harworth received full planning permission in 2019 to build 800 new homes, retail and leisure facilities and a 350-acre country park at the site.

Construction is also now under way for the rest of the project.

The site was previously the 450-acre Thoresby Colliery mine which was closed in July 2015, making it the last deep mine to shut in Nottinghamshire.

The Conservative-run authority made the decision to approve the funding on Thursday, February 20.