THE town’s newest school will throw open its doors this week to welcome the first pupils to St Catherine’s CE Academy.

A new headteacher and new uniform signify the closure of Withins School in Breightmet and the opening of the borough’s second academy.

The new school will cater for children from a few months old to 19, incorporating Withins School and Top o’th Brow Primary School.

It is the borough’s second academy school, with Hayward being transformed into Essa at the start of this year.

But it will be the first “super school”, taking youngsters all the way through from nursery age to college courses.

A new £36 million building is in the pipeline for the academy. But until that is complete, pupils will remain in the Withins School building in Breightmet and nearby Top O’th Brow Primary School.

Dr Lee Harris will be the head of the new publicly funded independent school which is being sponsored by the Church of England and entrepreneurs David and Anne Crossland.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, executive member for children’s services at Bolton Council, said: “This is an exciting time for Bolton as our first all-through academy opens its doors.

“When the new building is ready, this groundbreaking academy will cater for nursery age children right up to sixth form students, in a state of the art educational environment.”

He added: “We look forward to continuing to work with the sponsors, the new principal and all at the academy in making this important step a real success for the children and young people of Bolton.”

Building work in Newby Road, the site of the former Withins School, is expected to start June of next year.

schaudhari@theboltonnews.co.uk