Diary of a School Leader: Benjamin Barker #1

Welcome to our monthly update on the development of King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree, Liverpool’s newest secondary school set to open in September 2025. We’re thrilled to share the progress we’ve made and keep you informed as we continue our journey toward welcoming our first cohort of Year 7 students.

Building Progress

We are pleased to announce that the Department for Education has approved a budget uplift for our project, which will enable the next phase of our build to commence. A Bidders’ Day was recently held, giving contractors the opportunity to visit the future site and learn more about the exciting conversion of the Sony building into our temporary accommodation. Over the coming month, we’ll begin clearing planning conditions and moving toward appointing a preferred contractor to start design engagement meetings. This part of the process always feels like the slowest but when you consider the work that has to go into the project;

• Refurbishing the Sony and Natwest buildings for our first few years
• Knocking down Natwest
• Building our permanent home on the Natwest site
• Knocking down Sony to allow us to build our sports provision

Engaging with Our Community

Our open evenings have been met with incredible demand, and all five sessions are now fully booked. To ensure more families have the chance to learn about our school, we’ve added four additional information evenings. These sessions will take place at our partner school, King’s Leadership Phoenix Academy, just across the road from our new site. Book your place now.

Even if you miss the Liverpool City Council admissions deadline, applications can still be made directly to King’s Wavertree. We encourage families to attend one of our upcoming events to discover how our school’s unique character and leadership-focused approach will shape the future leaders of tomorrow. Our applications this year are a little different compared to other schools, but all the information can be found here.

Specialism: Character & Leadership

At King’s Wavertree, we believe that character education is key to developing students who are not only academically successful but also morally grounded. Our approach permeates every aspect of school life, instilling values such as integrity, resilience, and leadership.

Students will have the opportunity to engage in various leadership roles, from participating in the school parliament to leading teams as sports captains or classroom leaders. Our commitment to character development ensures that when our students leave us, they are equipped with the skills and moral purpose needed to lead and make a positive impact on society.

Looking Ahead…

As we continue to build our school and refine our vision, we remain focused on creating a vibrant, values-driven environment that will inspire and empower the next generation. We are excited about the future and invite the wider community to engage with us as we move toward our September 2025 opening.

King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree is founded on international research and traditional values with a huge focus on leadership and academic development.

At King’s, the vision is “To develop in each of our students the academic skills, intellectual habits, qualities of character and leadership traits necessary to succeed at all levels and become successful citizens in tomorrow’s world”.

King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree are a proud member of the Great Schools Trust family of schools, a values-led Trust that wants their children to believe in themselves and develop the character traits necessary to make a difference in society.

Stay connected by following our progress on social media and attending our upcoming events.