A £100m five-year plan to provide extra school places in Central Beds has been welcomed by Leighton head teacher Tim Carroll.
Central Beds Council has announced far-reaching plans to boost places across the district from September next year. The proposals are part of a pledge which ensures that every child has a place in a local school. With a growing local population, it’s estimated that the area’s school population will increase by 6,000 over the next five years.
A new Greenleas school on Sandhills is due to be ready for September to eventually provide 300 places. Further developments include a 300-place lower school and 480-place middle school at ClipstonePark, and a two-phase extension at Vandyke Upper to bring the number of places up from 1,000 to 1,500.
Vandyke will see a significant boost in facilities that are already accommodating pupil growth from current housing developments within its catchment area.
The school, because of its academy status, will need to seek approval from the Secretary of State for Education.
Vandyke head teacher Mr Carroll told the LBO: “The council’s decision marks an important step in medium and long term planning to ensure the town will have sufficient school places for the growing population.
“Vandyke is recognised as a successful and popular upper school and is geographically well located to provide additional school places.
“ Governors wish to use the school’s own funds, together with funding from the council and developers, to phase the building programme rather than wait until families are already moving into new houses and possibly face a shortage of places. Detailed work to develop and implement this programme is under way. We wish to provide outstanding facilities for an expanded school while at the same time maintaining an excellent learning environment for current students.”
The council’s executive will make a final decision in August to approve the proposals.