A NEW academy could be coming to Kirklees.

Kirklees Council Cabinet members have chosen social enterprise group E-ACT to establish a new mainstream secondary school in Howden Clough.

The organisation sponsors academies and has eight already up and running, with five more in the pipeline.

The new school, on the site of the current Batley Girls’ High School, at Windmill Lane, Howden Clough, would open in September 2013 following the relocation of the Girls’ school to a shared site with Batley Business and Enterprise College at Field Hill.

It is part of the £200m Building Schools for the Future programme and would benefit from extensive investment with existing buildings being refurbished and rebuilt.

Councillors considered three proposals against a specification that was consulted upon and published in August last year alongside the appropriate Department for Children, Schools and Families guidance and feedback gathered from the local community.

Clr Ken Smith, joint Cabinet member for Children and Families, said: “E-ACT’s submission clearly demonstrated its strength of experience, a proven track record and broad management support.Š

“E-ACT are a successful education sponsor responsible for developing and opening academies across England.Š

“They already have eight academies open with over 6,000 students and 1,000 staff and have more in development.

“This is a very exciting development – an opportunity for a new school venture using the existing very good facilities.”

The new 11-16 mainstream school at the Howden Clough site is part of a strategic plan for North Kirklees.

It is linked to the proposed closure of Birkenshaw Middle School as part of the change from a 3-tier to a 2-tier system in the Whitcliffe Mount pyramid of schools.