Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
School gives up fight to stop bulldozers rolling in
Grammar buildings now likely to be demolished rather than refurbished ‘Irresponsible’ to miss chance
Governors desperate to save their grammar school from demolition have conceded defeat.
They will now press forward with plans for a new, smaller, building on one of the school’s car parks.
The board at Simon Langton Girls’ wanted to protect the impressive art deco-style building from being pulled down, pledging instead to fight for its refurbishment.
But the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) – which holds the purse-strings for any development – says external work would have to be coupled with a complete remodelling internally to new specifications.
Such work, it says, would cost £3m more than building a completely new school and would reduce classroom sizes by as much as 40%.
With the ESFA stressing there is no room for bypassing the regulations, and facing the real risk of losing access to the government funding, the school’s governing body has now voted to pursue the option of a new-build.
It will include a new main building and a sports hall.
In a letter to parents on Friday, executive head teacher Matthew Baxter said: “These regulations hamper the case for refurbishment and most of our discussions with Kent County Council and the ESFA have been concerned to explore whether any flexibility is possible in the way these regulations are interpreted.
“Whilst the ESFA and KCC have sought to support the school, neither body has been able to alter the regulations and it has been stressed that these regulations exist to ensure equity in the way all schools in the ESFA building programme are treated.
“This conclusion leaves the
school in a difficult position. If we were to withdraw from the ESFA programme it would not be realistically possible to raise sufficient funds to refurbish the school and to replace the dilapidated buildings.
“The governing body have therefore agreed that they will work with the ESFA to develop the option for a complete new-
build of the school. No plans, or even details of how much the project will cost, have been made public, save for the fact the newbuild will include at least two buildings – one of them a sports hall. It will take two years to complete, with the original buildings used for lessons throughout.
Dr Baxter said: “Over the next couple of months we need to work with the ESFA to develop this new-build option. Initially, the school will provide much of the necessary information about the roll, curriculum requirements and particular aspects of life and culture which should be considered when designing any new buildings.
“No decision has yet been made about the new-build possibilities and I will ensure that during the process of negotiations the options being explored are made available and that people are aware of the progress of discussions.”
He has invited parents to offer their views on what aspects and features should be featured in the new school.
What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup.co.uk or call 01227 475915. Kent’s education director Patrick Leeson says it would be “folly” to deny future generations a new school.
He admits the authority did not support head teacher Matthew Baxter’s pledge to save the original building, branding it “irresponsible”.
A refurbished block, he says, would last for 15 years, while a new school’s lifespan could be half a century.
Mr Leeson said: “It would be folly to deny future generations of girls a new, modern learning environment.
“It will cost at least £3 million more to refurbish the existing main school building than it will to build a new one.
“We know there is asbestos in the main building and if we pull the building apart we could find more.
“Pupils can stay in the main school building while the new one is built, which will take about 18 months. If the school were to be refurbished it would take nearly three years and pupils would need to be taught in mobile classrooms.”
Mr Lesson says it was made clear to Dr Baxter that missing the opportunity for a new school would lose the funding from the ESFA.
He said: “This would be very irresponsible. KCC is not in a position to step in and fund either a new school or the refurbishment.
“If there is any further uncertainty, and the project were not to proceed, the school is likely be left in a building that is not fit for purpose for the foreseeable future.”