Major changes in school shake-up
GOSFORTH SCHOOL TO EXPAND AND MOVE TO NEW PREMISES
A MAJOR change has been suggested for a Gosforth school.
Broadway East First School, currently standing close to a number of other schools, just off Broadway East, is consulting with parents on plans to boost the size of the school and relocate to the growing development at Gosforth Great Park.
The plan is being suggested as a way to cope with the increasing “pressure for places” in the area. According to the consultation document, 75 extra places have had to be found across three other primary schools in the area, as population increases thanks to the new development.
Broadway East First School would move into a purpose-built building in the Great Park development, and increase its intake from 45 pupils a year to 90.
The new building would sit on a site shared with the 1,200-place secondary school planned by Gosforth Academy leaders.
Governors say the plans would not only address the growing need for school places at Gosforth schools already facing capacity issues, it would help address funding issues currently facing the smaller school, which they say could not continue to offer the same quality of provision at its current size.
Dean Jackson, of the City Council said the rise in birth rates and families moving into the area has led to an increase in demand for school places
The Council’s lead assistant director of education and skills’ said: “The potential relocation of one of the Gosforth first schools to Newcastle Great Park emerged from wider discussion with schools across the Gosforth area, which has already seen the expansion of three other first schools and one middle school. This would also enable further investment and expansion of other first and/or primary schools as well as the relocating school.”
WHAT WOULD THE CHANGES BE? WHY IS IT NEEDED? WHEN WOULD THIS HAPPEN?
The intention is that both new schools on Newcastle Great Park will be built and open by September 2020.
WILL THE CURRICULUM BE THE SAME?
Leaders say it will be improved, with better facilities, single year-group classes, with more teacher for increased “curriculum expertise”.
DOES MY CHILD HAVE TO MOVE TO THE NEW SITE?
Only children currently younger than year one would have to move, as older children will have left the school by the time
WHO WILL PAY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL? CAN CHILDREN FROM OTHER SCHOOLS GO TO THE NEW SITE? IT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET TO THE NEW SITE – WILL THERE BE ANY HELP?
this happens.
However, those who are on the roll at the time of the move, unless their parents remove them from the roll because they’ve found a new school.
If you wanted your child to stay at nearby Gosforth Park First School, you’d have to apply for a place there in the usual manner.
Newcastle City Council will oversee the delivery of the new school and secure all of the required funding, all or most of which will come from Section 106 contributions from the housing developers in the area.
Children from other schools will be able to apply for places at the new site, and may wish to do so if their families are already living near the site, although the school says: “we will not be trying to take children out of other schools”.
On their website, school leaders said: “As part of this consultation, we would like to seek parental views on transport options to the new school site. Following that, we will be working closely with the City Council to put appropriate and sustainable solutions in place. We anticipate further future discussion with parents about these options.”