Opening date for new high school brought forward

Ealing's first new secondary school in ten years is scheduled to open a year earlier than planned following a decision to bring the start of construction forward.
 
Part of Ealing’s £300million Building Schools for the Future programme, the new school is to be built on the old GlaxoSmithKline sports and social club ground on Oldfield Lane North in Greenford, subject to planning consent.
 
Ealing Council bought the site last October and the school was originally due to open in October 2015. The council has now decided to bring the construction forward and the new school is now planned to open in September 2014.
 
When full, the new school will provide 1,200 places for pupils aged 11 to 16, a 200 place 6th form and a Severe Learning Difficulties Unit for 12 pupils.
 
Councillor Ian Gibb, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: "This is great news for parents and children in north Greenford, Perivale and Horsenden who for many years have been asking for a high school to serve their communities.  We've bought an excellent site and now we're bringing forward the opening by a year.  It is exciting to see three and a half years of hard work coming together like this.''
 
Council officers will now start informal discussions with parties potentially interested in running the new school, as well as other organisations and individuals.
 
They will also start to outline a specification for the school including important details such as whether the school should be single sex or mixed, any specialism the school should have and its possible catchment area.
 
Members of the public will be able to comment on this specification as part of a wider public consultation due to take place later this year.

Building Schools for the Future is a national programme and is funded by the Government, Ealing Council and schools.  All plans are subject to planning consent and this will involve substantial statutory consultation.
 
The decision to open the school a year early was taken by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.  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.