Education South West (ESW) has confirmed it is moving forward with plans relating to the sale of land at King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC), following approval from the Department for Education (DfE) and the issuing of a formal Notice of Disposal to Totnes Town Council.

The DfE approved the proposal on the basis that the KEVICC estate was originally built to accommodate significantly more students than attend the school today.

While the school once served around 1,700–1,800 students, its current roll is approximately 900, including the sixth form, meaning parts of the estate are no longer required.

All proceeds from any future sale will be reinvested directly into KEVICC, with funding remaining within the Totnes community.

The school will continue to operate as it does currently, on the Redworth and Kennicott sites, and using its sports facilities on the Elmhirst site.

The investment will support significant refurbishment and modernisation across the estate, including both internal and external improvements to school buildings and facilities, helping ensure KEVICC can continue to serve local children and young people for decades to come.

All existing sports facilities, including the all-weather pitch will be retained; the latter is and will remain a shared community use sports facility under a shared use agreement in place with South Hams District Council.

Alan Salt, Headteacher at KEVICC, said: “KEVICC has been at the heart of Totnes and the surrounding communities for generations, and this proposal is about making sure the school continues to thrive long into the future.

“By reinvesting in our buildings and facilities, we can create an environment that better supports the experience of current and future students.

“Importantly, there will be no impact on the day-to-day running of KEVICC, and students will continue to benefit from the same sports and outdoor provision as they do today.”