Saturday 11 August 2012

More very large primary schools on their way in Brent

Map of phased developments
Apart from the decision to seek partnerships with free schools and academies (below), another controversial but undebated consequence of the School Review going before the Brent Executive REPORT is to increase the average size of Brent primary schools with some having more than 1,000 pupils (excluding nursery).

I continue with the view that 4-11 year olds need educating in a small and manageable learning community where staff are well-known to them and the geography of the building negotiable.  Such provision will now be rare in Brent with faith schools generally smaller than local authority schools.

There are plans to utilise closed down libraries to form annexes to existing schools, at some distance from the parent school. The Preston Library building will be removed from the Council disposal list to provide extra classes for Preston Park Primary and Kensal Rise Library will be reviewed for additional classes for Princess Frederica Primary.

Following the all-through schools at Ark and Preston Manor primary provision is being considered at Wembley High and Newman College.There is a proposal to co-locate Manor school for special needs pupils on the Braintcroft site where the Braintcroft building would be rebuilt.

The Report does not go into detail about the impact on playground and playing field space available to pupils when the schools are expanded but my Freedom of Information request earlier this year showed a reduction in space per pupil in the recent expansions LINK 

The following details are extracted from the report which includes notes and caveats on each proposal. My capacity figures do not include any temporary bulge classes or nursery classes.

 
Phase 1 by Sept 2013
Current capacity
Future
capacity
Barham
630
840
Fryent
420
840
Mitchell Brook
420
630
St Robert Southwell
315
420
Phase 2 by
Sept 2014


Wykeham
420
630
Uxendon
420
840
Preston Park
630
1050
Wembley High (new primary on site)
0
840
Vicar’s Green
(Ealing)
315
420
Chalkhill
420
840
Harlesden
420
630
St Joseph Primary
420
630
Leopold
420
630
Northview
210
420
Princess Frederica
420
630
Phase 3 by September 2015


Mount Stewart Inf nd Jnr
630
840
Elsley
420
840
Stonebridge
420
630
Malorees Inf and Jnr
420
840
Braintcroft
630
1,050
Carlton Vale Inf and Kilburn Park Jnr
420
630
Oriental City (new primary school)
0
420
Kingsbury Green
630
1,050
Phase 4 between Sept 2016 and Sep 2018


St Joseph Inf and Jnr
420
630
Quintain site-Wembley new primary school
0
420
Our Lady of Lourdes RC
420
630
John Keble C of E
420
630
St Andrew and St Francis
520
630
Newman College (Sec) – new primary school on site
0
420



The report forecasts  a 'significant' shortage of secondary school places by September 2014 and a report on this sector will be tabled in December. This seems rather last minute as the number of pupils in our primary schools has obviously been known for some time.




No comments: