We are proud to announce ongoing investments in our school estates and IT infrastructure to enhance the learning and working environments for students and staff.

Estates Investment

Mercia Learning Trust receives an annual School Capital Allocation (SCA) for investment in school buildings and grounds. Over the past year, significant investments have been made to ensure a conducive learning and working environment for everyone. These investments encompass health and safety measures, maintenance, improvements, and energy efficiency projects.

Some notable projects from the past year and ongoing projects include:

Mercia School

• Completion of the car park
• Perimeter fence installation for the car park and adjacent land
• External floodlight installation in the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and courtyard

Newfield School

• Safety barrier installation and upgraded lighting for the bridge
• Conversion of the library into two new teaching spaces
• Conversion of the admin area into an inclusion base
• Creation of a new library space

King Ecgbert School

• Partitioning of reception and access control to key areas
• Ongoing construction of a new sixth form base, landscaping, and additional car parking
• Photo voltaic (PVC) cells to the new sixth form block

Nether Edge Primary School

• Strengthening of the ground floor corridor of the link bridge
• Comprehensive access control installation
• Various corridor and WC improvements
• ICT Suite removal for creation of Design Studio
• Playground improvements
• Sports Hall improvements

Totley Primary School

• Installation of new floor coverings throughout
• Playground improvements for the Foundation Stage
• External lighting upgrade and canopy installation

Woodlands Primary School

• Playground improvements
• Nursery classroom enhancements, including WC upgrades
• Various improvements to classrooms and facilities

Ongoing site condition surveys will be conducted in early October 2023 to determine new priorities and focus on maintenance, energy efficiency, and supporting Anns Grove Primary School who joined our trust in October.

IT Infrastructure Investment

In parallel with estates investment, Mercia Learning Trust has substantially invested in upgrading its IT infrastructure across all schools, including cybersecurity enhancements and desktop device upgrades. Key improvements include:

• Standardisation of networking infrastructure and Wi-Fi systems for improved security, management, and performance across all schools
• Implementation of a centralised phone system to facilitate collaboration between schools and streamline costs
• Cybersecurity improvements in all schools, including remote access and external traffic monitoring
• Continuous investment in teacher display upgrades and replacement of desktop PCs and laptops
• Procurement of specific end-user devices such as iPads
• Investment in server upgrades and new servers to support the proposed centralised IT infrastructure
• Adoption of trust-wide software licences for enhanced efficiency