Three Primary Schools To Expand

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More pupils to be admitted cope with rising birth rate

Three Ealing primary schools are set to permanently expand to take more pupils following a decision by Ealing Council’s cabinet.

The three schools are Ravenor Primary School, Greenford, St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, Ealing, and Christ Church Junior School and St Saviour’s CE Infant School, Ealing.

Christ Church Junior School and St Saviour’s CE Infant School will also merge to become a new primary school.

High birth rates and the popularity of the borough’s schools mean that Ealing is facing a shortfall in primary school places. Since 2008, 1890 new permanent places have been created, but more are needed in order to meet future demand.

From September 2012, both Ravenor Primary School and St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School will increase their reception year intake from 60 to 90 pupils. Christ Church Church of England Junior School and St Saviours Church of England Infant School will merge to create a new primary school in September 2011 and will expand the annual intake from 90 pupils to 120 pupils from September 2012.

The expansions would be phased in with each school eventually growing to accept an additional 30 students in each year. A total of 630 new permanent primary places will be created by 2018. All the proposals are subject to the schools applying for and obtaining planning permission.

The Cabinet heard that the proposals to expand St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School and Christ Church CE Junior School/ St Saviours CE Infant School had attracted mixed responses from local residents and parents during the recent public consultation.

Some people living locally to St Gregory’s expressed concerns about increased traffic and worries that the expanded school would be too big. A number of existing parents at Christ Church CE Junior School and St Saviours CE Infant School also expressed concerns about disruption during the building works, increased congestion and the reduction of outside playing space.

However, other people were in favour of the proposals because they would allow more children to benefit from being educated at these already popular schools.

Councillor Patricia Walker, cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “I understand the concerns of some parents and local residents, but we must create more primary school places. Every child has the right to a good education. If we don’t act now to meet the increased demand we simply won’t have enough spaces for all of the children in the borough.

“I want to reassure people who have expressed concerns about these expansions that this isn’t the end of our consultation with the public. All of these expansions are subject to the council’s planning process and the issues raised so far, including concerns about traffic, will be examined again in detail.”

All Cabinet decisions are subject to call in for a period of five working days from the date of publication of the minutes of the meeting.

 

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12 January 2011