Council unveils £22m primary school expansion plan (From Enfield Independent)

Enfield Council unveils £22m primary school expansion plan

7:50am Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

A public consultation into a £22million primary school expansion plan launches today.

This morning, Enfield Council unveiled proposals to expand 11 schools to provide an extra 2,400 primary school places in the next six years.

The council is looking into the practicalities of expanding Broomfield School, Edmonton County, Garfield Primary School, George Spicer Primary School, Grange Park Primary School, Highfield Primary School, Houndsfield Primary School, Oakthorpe Primary School, Prince of Wales Primary School, Walker School, and Worcester Primary School.

However, the schools affected are yet to be decided, and the consultation, which runs until October 31, is a chance for people to have a say about the proposals.

The majority of the building work is expected to be completed by September 2013.

According to the council, it has been working with schools for a number of weeks to target the schools most suitable for expansion.

It is also pinpointing schools in areas with the greatest shortage of primary school places in the borough.

The expansion plans come just weeks after London Councils warned there would be a shortage of 90,000 places in London by 2016.

Enfield Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Ayfer Orhan, said: "We are running out of primary school places and we have a duty to provide our pupils with a high quality education in safe, secure and good facilities.

"This £22million project will provide hundreds of extra primary school places in the areas they are most needed and improve our educational facilities ahead of the 2013 school year.

"We want parents and our partners to tell us what they think of the proposals so Enfield Council can be sure we get this project right and provide enough school places for Enfield's pupils for years to come.

"We need to accommodate the expected increase in primary school places so we can address parent's concerns that their children don't have to travel excessive distances to school.”

Most of the money is coming from the Government, although Enfield Council is subsidising approximately 20 per cent to cover costs.