A school which opened less than two years ago is so oversubscribed it is already set to expand.

The Leigh UTC, which took on its first pupils in 2014, has the full backing of Kent County Council, the Department for Education (DfE) and Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) to consult on a proposal to expand.

All LAT academies in north west Kent are heavily over-subscribed, and have been for years.
The campus in Dartford specialises in engineering and computer science, currently admits students in Year 10 and Year 12.

Following its early success, the Trust is proposing to extend the age range of The UTC to admit students from Year 7 onwards.

Vacant land directly opposite the current building is set to be used to construct a brand new age 11-14 facility called ‘The Inspiration Centre’ @ The Leigh UTC.

It will effectively be a second college on the campus, contain its own classrooms to deliver a balanced curriculum as well as a state-of-the-art sports hall.

It is expected to be ready by 2017 and admit 120 students annually.

The Trust is also working with Dartford council to provide an outdoor sports complex for all students on fields next door to the UTC.

At the original campus the UTC will continue to recruit directly to Year 10 until all Key Stage 3 places are full. From this point, a further 30 places will be made available in Year 10 each year, on top of the 120 to Year 7. This will take the size of each year group from age 14 upwards to 150.

In a joint statement principal, Steve Leahey, and head of Kenard Engineering and chair of governors, Keith Ellis, said: "Plans to expand The Leigh UTC are tremendously exciting. They represent a serious vote of confidence by KCC and DfE in the early success of The UTC.

"They will also ensure that even more students have access to our successful model of education which is allowing students to gain places at selective universities and advanced apprenticeships in areas that our nation’s economy so badly needs.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our committed business and university sponsors for their ongoing strong support and encouragement."

MP for Dartford, Gareth Johnson, added: "The Leigh Academies Trust offers excellent educational opportunities for local children so I am really pleased we should now see it expand.

"Dartford needs more school places and this proposal will help provide this and ensure more local children can take advantage of the fantastic opportunities The UTC provides."