Whilst there is undoubtedly a demand for a new school within the borough, and the news that one is to be built is cautiously welcomed, there are a couple of things that trouble me.
I would have preferred to see a comprehensive rather than
a free school built, although I do understand that since the Tories have had
their hands on the education system the local authority’s hands are tied in
what they can do. Still, the parlous state of education under the Tories is
laid bare for all to see.
The site chosen leaves me wondering. The areas of largest
growth in the borough do not include St Laurence ward, which actually is the
ward with the second smallest increase between 2001 and 2011 (https://warelane.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/cramming-them-in-in-milton/).
The town centre has the wards with the largest growth, and therefore demand for
new school places.
Putting the school away from where the greatest demand is
does not seem like intelligent thinking to me. The town centre has just the one
secondary school, and this one selects based on faith.
Whilst suitable sites in the town centre are scarce, they
do exist. (For instance, Warrior Square and the old gasworks.) If we are have
to force our students to travel to the edge of town, then maybe we need to
review planning policy. Cramming more homes into the town centre without regard
to infrastructure (and schools are part of infrastructure) is not clever
either. We ought to encourage more development in St Laurence ward, giving the
new school a genuinely local catchment.
Of course, if the four grammar schools and two faith
schools took their intake entirely from with the borough then a need for a new
school would evaporate entirely.
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