Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre
Works are well underway at the Kensington
Academy and Leisure Centre (KALC) site. Construction of the leisure
centre will run in parallel with the Academy so that both new
buildings can open in 2014.
A real-time camera has now been set up
overlooking the site and you can watch the construction
works live:
Please see details of alternative sports and leisure
facilities.
To find out the latest news read the
spring 2013 newsletter
[PDF] (file size Kb)
Highlights of the proposals include:
- a new Academy providing much needed
school places as over 30 per cent of local students currently
travel outside the Royal Borough for their secondary education
- a state-of-the-art leisure centre to
replace the current facility
- creating more usable green space and
an improved Lancaster Green
- improving access and creating better
links to the area
The story so far
In December 2011 the Council committed £40.2m of funding for the
scheme and, on top of the £17.6m Government funding for the
academy, this amounts to a £57.8m investment in North
Kensington.
Located off Silchester Road, near Latimer Road station, these
developments will bring significant investment to the local area,
deliver tangible benefits for the whole borough and respond to a
pressing need for education provision in North Kensington.
The need for the academy
There is a great need for a new secondary school in the north of
the borough and the Kensington Aldridge Academy will help
to address this.
Over 30 per cent of local students already travel outside the
borough for their secondary education and by 2018 there is likely
to be an increase of over 1,200 secondary school age pupils seeking
places in our schools.
This issue is particularly important in the north of the borough
where there are currently a number of high quality primary schools
but not sufficient secondary education provision.
The
Kensington Aldridge Academy
We have high ambitions for this academy, which would also play a
key role in the redevelopment and regeneration plans for the
Latimer area.
The academy will be co-sponsored by the Council and the Aldridge
Foundation and will offer a first class all-round curriculum and,
in addition, specialise in entrepreneurship and expressive
arts.
The academy is scheduled to open in September 2014 for the first
group of 11-year-olds, with a second year group starting the
following September and the first students entering the sixth form
in 2016.
Community benefits
The academy will play a full part in local life and facilities
such as the sports hall, dance studio and theatre will also be
available for students, adults and community groups to use outside
of school hours. Dedicated entrepreneurial areas or ‘pods’ will be
available in the academy to help students and members of the
community develop their business ideas. Each pod will come equipped
with internet access, a phone line and desks. Aldridge Foundation
academies also provide support and training to help the development
of business and social enterprises in their communities.
Academy admissions
The academy will be a local school serving the local community
and will adopt the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s
admissions criteria. An admissions priority area is being proposed
as part of the academy plans. This will not exclude parents outside
the area but will ensure it is first and foremost a neighbourhood
school. The postcodes included within the priority areas are W10,
W11, W12, W14 and a small area of W2. There will be no selection by
ability, gender or religion.
Kensington Leisure Centre
The tired and dated Kensington Leisure Centre will be replaced
by a modern, energy-efficient building that will offer first-class
sports and leisure facilities which can be enjoyed by local people
for decades to come. Highlights of our proposals for a fully
accessible centre include: a 25-metre, eight-lane swimming pool for
teaching and swimming at all levels; 250-seat spectator gallery;
20-metre teaching pool with mobile floor; leisure pool; 120-station
gym; eight-court multi-use hall and sauna/steam facilities with
treatment rooms.
Construction timeline
A phased construction programme is now underway and enabling
works have already begun. The Silchester Road Car Park at the back
of Kensington Leisure Centre and the centre’s three small
artificial football pitches were closed from Monday 8 October.
Kensington Leisure Centre’s last day of business will be Monday 24
December 2012. Construction of the new leisure centre will coincide
with the academy programme with both scheduled to open in September
2014. The centre’s operators, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), has
extensive experience of closing and opening leisure centres. With
the assistance of the building contractors, Leadbitter, plans are
being made for those groups affected. For example, current members
will be able to transfer to other GLL facilities in neighbouring
boroughs and all existing staff will find employment at their other
GLL sites for the duration of closure.
Alternative sports and leisure facilities
Other GLL facilities
Chelsea Sports Centre will remain open throughout the works.
Chelsea Sports Centre
Underground: South
Kensington, Sloane Square
Bus: 319, 49, 211, 11, 22
Jubilee Sports Centre
Underground: Queens Park,
Westbourne Park Kensal Green
National Rail: Kensal
Green
Bus: 6, 18, 28, 31, 316,
328
Phoenix Fitness Centre & Janet Adegoke Swimming
Pool
Underground: White City, Wood
Lane
Bus: 283, 95, 7, 70, 72, 272,
228
Porchester Centre
Underground: Royal Oak,
Bayswater
Bus: 36, 27, 7, 23
Facilities managed by the Westway Development Trust
Facilities managed locally by the Westway
Development Trust include:
Westway Sports
Centre
Underground: Latimer Road
Bus: 295, 316, 72, 95, 220,
272
Portobello green
fitness club
Underground: Ladbroke
Grove
Bus: 52, 228, 7, 23, 70, 452,
295
Find out more
You can find out more about the plans by visiting our
Frequently Asked Questions.
You can also register for e-updates by emailing kalcenquiries@rbkc.gov.uk