John McAslan + Partners were appointed by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to design a new Academy in Sandwell, Tipton, which is sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). The recently completed Academy provides teaching accommodation for 1100 pupils including 200 6th formers, specialising in Health and Citizenship. The Academy features flexible and adaptable classrooms with modern ICT and WiFi throughout. Work/study areas and quiet areas are provided as well as extended sport facilities. The Academy is pioneering a new curriculm called ‘Opening Minds’. This has been extensively developed by the RSA and looks to teach project base learning over traditional didectic teaching. This informs the architecture with large open plan classrooms (70m²), which have flexible/moveable walls to allow connection to adjacent classrooms, wet areas and moveable furniture to allow for increased flexibility.