New chapter begins as Rushcliffe Spencer Academy unveils expansion project

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Midlands business has marked the handing over of C block at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The team carried out expansion works on behalf of Spencer Academies Trust and Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC), celebrating the final milestone at the school.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from Spencer Academies Trust, NCC, and the Morgan Sindall team. In total, the expansion has created 450 secondary school places and 110 sixth form places to cater for growing demand for school places in the area.

The £32 million expansion project delivered a comprehensive transformation of the school’s facilities, including the construction of a new building with modern classrooms, a central hallway, and office spaces; demolition of the existing leisure centre; and refurbishment of the Notts Gymnastics Academy building. The works also encompassed remedial fire safety upgrades to existing structures and extensive external improvements, such as a new all-weather sports pitch, relocation of the 5-a-side pitch, car park redesign, and creation of new bus drop-off facilities, all aimed at enhancing the school’s infrastructure and improving the overall experience for students and staff.

Morgan Sindall has already celebrated previous milestones at the school, with the successful opening of the new Nottinghamshire Gymnastics Academy building in July 2025 where the facilities were expanded, modernised, and improved.

The project delivered exceptional social value outcomes, with £39.9 million in social value created to date and a social value return on project cost of 158%.

As part of the tier one contractor's dedication to providing opportunities for the next generation of construction throughout its work, during the new building phase, the school's construction class were invited for a Q&A and hard hat tour. Morgan Sindall also offered several on-site work experience placements throughout the project.

The team worked closely with Nottingham Trent University (NTU), with 100 students coming to site for their final year project. Morgan Sindall lent its expertise to critique the end of year presentation. The team also attended a careers fair and completed additional school visits.

With social value in mind, Morgan Sindall donated £1,000 to the school's chosen charity, the Nottinghamshire Gymnastics Academy, helping to fund its annual awards ceremony. Along with this, as part of a long-standing partnership with Rushcliffe Spencer Academy, Morgan Sindall Construction has committed to a five-year legacy initiative to champion student achievement. To mark this commitment, Morgan Sindall have donated £2,500 to fund an annual £500 voucher, awarded each year to a student who demonstrates exceptional achievement and merits special recognition.

As the school remained operational throughout the project, strict measures were implemented to ensure site security and the safety of pupils. All construction activities were fully segregated from school users including students, parents, and staff to maintain a secure and controlled environment.