THE newest school to be opened in Worcester has had its academy sponsor officially confirmed.

Oasis Community Learning has been chosen as the preferred sponsor for the new Worcester City Secondary School.

Plans to build and open the new school were approved last November, with a consultation running earlier this year for interested parties to bid to run it.

When finished, the school would be the first new one in the city since Nunnery Wood opened 80 years previously.

The new 600-place school is being created to deal with existing demand as well as prospective future demand for school places caused by the new homes being built in the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

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Oasis Community Learning is a multi-academy trust consisting of 52 academies across the country including 18 secondary schools and Oasis Academy Warndon, a Worcester primary school, rated by Ofsted as 'Good' in 2019. 

Councillor Tracey Onslow, cabinet member for education at Worcestershire County Council, said: "We are delighted that Oasis Community Learning have been appointed as the sponsor to run the new school in Worcester and we’re confident that they will help us achieve the best possible outcomes for our children and young people.

"The provision of a new school will ensure more children can access a secondary school place within their local community in a growing city.

"I would also like to thank all our stakeholders and those who took part in this competitive process.

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"We were impressed by the level and quality of interest and submission."

John Murphy, CEO of Oasis Community Learning, said: "We are excited to have the opportunity to build on the work we are already doing in the local community.

"We are committed to supporting every student and as a family of schools to share best practice to drive continual improvement across the Trust.

"At Oasis Community Learning we want to ensure we create exceptional education at the heart of the community’ and so our academies are a pro-active part of local neighbourhoods, and we hold an expansive vision of the role that education should play in strong, vibrant and proud communities."