Havering school places crisis: Council reveals proposals to expand four more primary schools
The James Oglethorpe Primary School along with Crownfield Infants' School, St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Broadford Primary School and Parsonage Farm School have been recommended by the cabinet for expansion - Credit: Archant
Plans to expand four more primary schools in Havering have been revealed in a report going to the council cabinet tonight.
Outline proposals include expanding St Peter’s Catholic Primary, Dorset Avenue, Romford, Crownfield Infants’ School, White Hart Lane, Rush Green, the James Oglethorpe Primary School, Ashvale Gardens, Upminster, and Broadford Primary, Faringdon Avenue, Harold Hill.
The report also says the council is seeking planning permission to expand Parsonage Farm School, Farm Road, Rainham, after it was rejected despite plans being previously approved by the cabinet.
Each of the schools would go up one form of entry, except James Oglethorpe which would go up by half a form of entry.
The council says it needs eight more forms of entry overall in the borough in place for the next academic year 2016/17.
You may also want to watch:
Along with the five proposed, Suttons and Hacton Primary Schools are already being expanded through the government’s Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) providing 56 new places.
While more places are needed in Hornchurch, the council said it was not proposing any expansion in that area as there is surplus capacity in Elm Park.
Most Read
- 1 Havering parks and gardens five feet under water as rivers burst their banks
- 2 Fines issued to Romford and Upminster restaurants flouting coronavirus restrictions
- 3 Infection rates are now falling in Havering - is lockdown working?
- 4 More than 100 Covid dead at Queen's and King George this week
- 5 Man killed in collision on A13 near Rainham
- 6 Havering and Barking and Dagenham parents 'outraged' at poor quality free school meal replacements
- 7 GPs roll up their sleeves to support colleagues at Queen's Hospital
- 8 Doctors and nurses 'exhausted' as hospitals reach breaking point
- 9 Charity boss hails response after 'army of volunteers' come forward to support vaccine centres
- 10 Pressure on to preserve Upminster trees as council receives almost 200 messages
“Officers have been working closely with headteachers and governing bodies to ensure they are fully on board with the expansion proposals linked to their schools and confident that the expansion will lead to improved opportunities for children and hence outcomes,” said the report.
The report also said current projections showed there would be 20 “bulge” – temporary – classes across the borough next year on top of the eight permanent expansions proposed, including eight reception classes.
And the council predicts there will be a shortfall of 72 Year Seven places in 2016/17 which will continue to worsen unless new places are provided.
The report said the borough predicted a 266 place shortfall in 2018/19, going up to 451 places in 2019/20 and 512 in 2012/21.
