A £17million project to expand Grove Park School in Crowborough has been given the green light by East Sussex County Council.
The council approved the proposal for the reorganisation of the school which will involve involves new facilities at the school’s Church Road site so it can teach primary and secondary students at a single location.
The school’s secondary and sixth form classes currently take place at Beacon Academy. While secondary provision will move to Church Road, the current arrangement would continue for sixth formers.
New nursery
The school is also expected to open a new nursery provision for children aged two and three at the site. It will continue to provide for learners with learning difficulties, autism, and sensory needs.
An earlier version of the proposal, which was put out to consultation in 2023, would also have seen sixth formers brought on to the Church Road site but this was dropped due to “budgetary constraints and challenging site conditions”.
£17million budget
ESCC’s decision will depend on the granting of planning permission for the construction of a new school block at the Church Road site. The council has a £17m budget for the project and expects the changes to be implemented fully from September 2027. Construction at the site to accommodate the reorganisation could start later this year.