Over 2,500 school spaces to become available in Bedford over the next two years

Property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard is working with the council to deliver more than 2,500 school spaces across the Bedford over the next two years.

Its programme has a projected construction cost of more than £100 million, and includes one of the largest special schools in the country, the Rivertree Free School in Kempston, which should be completed in August.

Delivering 200 SEN spaces, the project runs concurrently with the construction of Willow Grove Primary School in Wixams, providing 840 new primary spaces. An extension to Wixams Academy secondary school will also deliver 900 additional spaces in September.

Two further projects are also on track for completion in 2025. These include:

Bedford Academy – creating 300 additional places

Wootton Lower School – which is being converted into a primary school; with an extra form of entry creating 300 additional places

Moving into 2026, there will be further works:

Wootton Upper School will be turned into a secondary school with an additional 450 pupil places

Further school extensions are in the feasibility phase

Sean Conneely, director at Pick Everard, said: "We’re immensely proud of the work undertaken with Bedford Borough Council to improve school facilities and increase the number of pupil places in the region. The programme’s success has been greatly influenced by a collaborative approach with the entire delivery team, combined with our shared dedication to delivering community value."