Residents have their say on Council’s plans to expand borough’s high schools
Residents have less than two weeks left to have their say on Ealing Council’s plans to expand the borough’s high schools.
There’s been a sharp rise in the number of children born in the area in recent years and education officers are predicting the borough will need around 1,600 more secondary school places by 2015. Now the Council is looking at how it can cater for the extra pupils and is asking all residents to get involved and have their say before February 22.
The Council is aiming to secure more than £250 million from the Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) fund to pay for the expansion programme. This money will be put into expanding high schools, but also refurbishing and modernising them to ensure all pupils have access to the very best facilities. It will also be used to expand units in secondary schools for pupils with special educational needs, such as severe learning disabilities. The cash could even be used to provide a brand new school in the borough.
The shortage of places will be mainly in the north of the borough, in Greenford, Northolt and Perivale. The current proposals, which Ealing Council is discussing with schools, are:
- The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls – increase from 1,050 to 1,080 pupils by September 2009
- Twyford Church of England High School – increase from 900 to 980 pupils by September 2009
- Elthorne Park High School – increase from 900 to 1,200 by September 2013
- New high school – a new high school providing 1,200 places by September 2015.
A range of sites in the north of the borough are being considered for the new school, including Ealing Central Sports Ground. However, the BSF programme does not provide money to buy sites which are not owned by the Council and money may not be available in the future to create a new site.
Councillor Ian Gibb, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said, “We have a unique chance to totally transform our secondary schools, raise standards and further improve the life chances of our young people.
“There are a number of decisions we need to take which are crucial to the future of our young people. I hope residents, whether they have children of their own or not, will take the time to find out more about our plans and give us their views.”
A summary of the Council’s plans for secondary school expansion and improvement is available at www.ealing.gov.uk/consultations or by emailing bsf@ealing.gov.uk.
February 13, 2008