Powering the future. Honouring the past.
For over five decades, Rugeley Power Station was a defining feature of the Staffordshire skyline – powering homes, driving industry, and shaping the town’s identity. Today, the former coal-fired site is undergoing a remarkable transformation into a vibrant, low-carbon community at the heart of which stands Rugeley John Taylor School.
Built on the grounds of the decommissioned Rugeley B Power Station, the school symbolises a powerful shift – from fossil fuels to futures powered by learning, sustainability, and innovation. Now, the site is being reborn: not just as housing and green space, but anchored by our brand-new, net-zero all-through school, which welcomes its first cohort of students from 2025.
Rugeley Power Station served as a major coal-fired energy provider from 1961 until its closure in 2016, and generated electricity for millions, with two major plans – Rugeley A and B. Over the next five years, its structures were systematically dismantled, including the dramatic demolition of its iconic cooling towers.
The project has been funded by the Department for Education and built by BAM Construction, and will open in phases: secondary phase September 2025, primary in September 2026, and when at full capacity will serve 52 nursery, 420 primary, 750 secondary, and 200 sixth-form students, with extensive sports facilities which will be open for community use.
Guided by the motto “Powered by knowledge, driven by ambition”, our school is committed to inspiring every learner to achieve their potential in a future-facing environment rooted in innovation, sustainability, and community
Photos kindly supplied by Landor (Local History) Society who hold full copyright of the images.
