ALL Saints Academy has been given the go-ahead by the government to start taking in pupils from Year 7.
The Houghton Road, Dunstable, school will open its doors to 11-year-olds from September 2013, initially offering 60 Year 7 places and increasing this to 120 from September 2015.
The move, which as an academy is sponsored by the Diocese of St Albans and the University of Bedfordshire, is aimed at improving results for students, and follows the decisions by four Houghton Regis lower schools to change their age ranges to three to 11 from next September.
All Saints principal Tom Waterworth said: “We have been working hard on improving students’ literacy and numeracy skills and having students from Year 7 means we can work hard to improve these still further.
“Currently we take children into Year 9 and as far as we are concerned we are playing catch-up because some don’t have the right literacy levels for our curriculum.
“We believe having children younger in one school will give them a greater chance to succeed.”
Mr Waterworth said the main schools that fed into All Saints were Kings Houghton Middle School, which wants to change its age range to 11-18, Brewers Hill Middle School, Ashton Middle School, and Mill Vale Middle School, which under its academy sponsor Barnfield is changing to a primary school.
Students at All Saints have finished their summer term a week early so that work can start on the transfer to their new £14.8 million building.
Demolition on the old Northfields building had been due to start this month but delays caused by bad weather mean it will now take place in the autumn once the transfer is complete.
Mr Waterworth said: “We get the keys on August 20 so when the children come back on September 5 they will be going into the new building.”
An open evening in the new building takes place on October 11 from 5.30pm. Mr Waterworth added: “If you are currently a Year 5 student, please come to the open evening in our brand new building – you will certainly not be disappointed with the facilities.”