A temporary home has been secured for a new secondary school due to open its doors next year in Isleworth.

Bolder Academy will welcome its first cohort of pupils to 390 London Road, the current home of Nishkam School, in September 2018.

The move is planned to take place in the summer next year when Nishkam School will move out and into their permanent building at the Conquest Club in Syon Lane, and Bolder Academy will take up their interim location.

The mixed, multi-faith school will start its first term with 150 pupils in Year 7, under the helms of Isleworth born and bred headteacher Heidi Swidenbank.

The academy has been set up by local headteachers in response to demand for secondary school spaces for children in Osterley, Brentford and North Isleworth.

Nishkam School West London is one of only two free schools to have opened in the borough to date
Bolder Academy to open in September 2018 at temporary site in Isleworth - currently Nishkam School West London's temporary home

Building plans for the school's permanent home in Macfarlane Lane, Isleworth, were approved by Hounslow Council in August this year.

The new school building is scheduled to be ready in 2020 at the current Grasshoppers Rugby Club, with sports fields as well as being next door to Sky.

It will be a six form entry school for ages 11 to 16, providing 900 places at full capacity.

The new building's facilities will include science labs, art studios and ICT suites as well as a sports hall and multi-games use areas.

A view of the front entrance of Bolder Academy

Ms Swidenbank is currently an Ofsted inspector and has previously held the position of headteacher.

She said: "Bolder Academy will offer a superb education for young people and parents of the local area.

"Extraordinary partnerships with key local businesses, such as Sky, will result in a ‘bold’ education: a traditional, highly academic curriculum combined with brilliant opportunities.

"Starting with only 150 year 7 students, I and the rest of the staff, will get to know every Bolder student and their family exceptionally well, strong relationships and great communication is the Bolder way.

"As a local resident, born and bred in Isleworth, this is a once in a life time opportunity – to work with parents, educationalist and young people of the local area to develop a phenomenal school."

Bolder Academy headteacher Heidi Swidenbank

Andrew Griffith, COO of Sky, added: " As Bolder Academy will be literally on our doorstep, we can see exciting opportunities to be a good neighbour.

"We have a huge array of skills and expertise here onsite and I hope that we can support the school in many ways, including Sky colleagues volunteering to help out with after-school clubs such as Computing, Design, Sports and Drama."

Classroom at Bolder Academy's temporary site in London Road, Isleworth
Bolder's dining room has a full kitchen to provide hot meals

Ms Swidenbank has been appointed in her full time post a year ahead of opening to ensure the school is fully functioning when the doors swing open in September.

The temporary site houses classrooms, a kitchen to provide hot meals and access to a sport fields.

It is located a two minute walk from Isleworth Station and there are bus routes from Hounslow.

Parents applying for a place at the school are advised to complete an additional application form on the Bolder Academy wesbite by October 31.

Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.

You can even set it to receive push notifications for all the breaking news in your area.

Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android now!