Bricks and Mortar Boards

Our first new secondary school in more than 10 years heads an impressive list of projects worth more than £300 million. The new high school will be built in Greenford and is a key component of the building schools for the future programme (BSF), which aims to transform secondary and special schools across the borough.

As well as the new school, 14 secondary and special schools will be rebuilt or refurbished under the program, while most will get investment to provide pupils with massively improved technology such as videoconferencing and Internet-based learning.

The work is due to begin in 2010 with a complete rebuilding of Dormers Wells high school, in South, and the partial rebuilding of Cardinal Wiseman catholic school, in Greenford. Plans are currently being drawn up for these. The rest of the schools will be improved in phases until work is completed in 2015. It is being paid for mainly with funding from the government and the private sector, with additional money coming from the council and schools.

The land for the new high school in Oldfield Lane, Greenford, was identified for its large size, good transport links and location in the north of the borough.

Demand for high school places in the borough is expected to increase sharply in the coming years. Without the BSF programme and new schools, by 2015 we could have been around 2,300 places short with the north of the borough particularly hard-hit.

Cllr Ian Gibb, cabinet member for children's services said “ the borough's population is growing and we expect demand for high school places to increase considerably. By taking steps to secure a new school site, we can plan for this growth and develop a new school in the north of the borough, where the demand would be most acute. We want our young people to have access to modern, well equipped schools to encourage excellence and this investment programme will make sure this is the case”.

Construction work on the new school is expected to begin in 2013 and to be completed by 2015, although it may be finished soon. It is intended that the playing fields at the site will be available for committee use.
For more information visit

www.ealing.gov.uk/bsf

or

www.partnershipforschools.org.uk