David Cameron visits Enfield to announce plans for new secondary school (From Enfield Independent)

Prime Minister David Cameron visits Enfield to announce plans for new secondary school

4:38pm Friday 13th July 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

Prime Minister David Cameron visited an Enfield primary school today to announce Government plans to open a new secondary school in the borough.

Mr Cameron, who visited Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy in Cuckoo Hall Lane, Edmonton, revealed the plans to build the free school, called Heron Hall, which is expected to open by 2014.

He said the school will go some way to cope with the added pressure for school places in Enfield, although at this stage it is unclear how large the school’s intake will be or where in Enfield it will be located.

The school will be run by the Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust (CHAT), which operates Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy as well as Cuckoo Hall Academy and Kingfisher Hall Primary Academy on the same site.

The Enfield Independent understands the school could open in 2013 but a site would need to be approved.

It is believed the primary school has some space to teach for Year 7 students if the site is not ready for new students next year.

The trip also revealed Government plans to open 102 free schools in the UK, many of which by September 2013.

Mr Cameron, while addressing a classroom of Year 1 and Year 2 pupils, said: “I think it is great news the group that has set up one school is going to set up another.”

He said it is “very exciting” that a new school will be coming to the borough and congratulated the teachers for doing a “very good job” with the academies.

Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy, which opened last year, was one of the first 24 free primary schools in the UK.

His visit hailed the success of the free school, which is soon to finish its first year of teaching.

However, he said lessons have been learnt from the first free schools, and said “allowing innovation” in free schools is of the utmost importance.

He praised the CHAT free schools for encouraging children to learn to read as soon as they arrive at school aged just four years old, and is extremely supportive of the phonic system the school uses to help children to read as early as possible.