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The £45 million London superschool
Tim Ross24.06.09
A £45 million "superschool" campus with a health centre, police base, nursery and outdoor amphitheatre is planned for the heart of London.
Four schools in St John's Wood will be rebuilt on the university-style walk-through campus under a plan to house a range of public services together.
Westminster council's ambitious proposal is thought to be the first of its kind in the capital.
Ministers want all new schools to act as hubs for public services, from childcare and midwifery to adult education.
Jo Shuter, head of Quintin Kynaston school, one of the four to be housed on the Marlborough Hill campus, said putting a range of services together would help children progress smoothly from one stage of their education to the next. Teachers and other professionals will also find it easier to work together to spot problems, she said.
"I have always had a dream which was about an all-through school on this site, which would be education from the cradle to the grave," she said. "What I am hoping is that the funding will allow us to make this dream a reality."
The 34,000square metre campus could include:
■ Four schools rebuilt with government cash - Quintin Kynaston Community Foundation, George Eliot Junior, George Eliot Infant and pupil referral unit Beachcroft, with a combined total of about 2,000 pupils.
■ An amphitheatre and central "town square" to act as a meeting place.
■ A police base and health centre, which could include surgery and midwifery services.
■ Adult education centre, crèche and drop-in nursery.
■ A 25-metre pool, climbing wall, synthetic turf pitch, four hard sports courts, and a 1km running trail.
The proposed development, funded by government money, will also include a solar-heated water supply, roof gardens and allotments to create a "green oasis".
A public consultation on the plans will be launched next month with a planning application expected later this year. If permission is granted building work could begin next year.
Source: Architecture PLB
Mark Page from Westminster council said: "This is a very exciting and highly ambitious scheme which we believe will transform education and community facilities in this part of London, benefiting the local community.
"Our aim is to provide the best possible start in life for every child and this campus will offer state-of-the-art facilities for young people from nursery age right up to when they leave to go to university or join the job market."
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said projects such as Marlborough Hill would "set a benchmark for how schools and wider children's services in the 21st century should operate".
"It is not down to teachers to deal with problems on their own - but it is essential that they can easily tap into services to give young people, families and local people the help they need, when they need it," he said.
Reader views (6)
No way that this will address the fundamental problems of this and other schools. Bound to go over-budget, over-time, and create even more havoc for local neighbors. Jobs for the boys if ever there were...
- Angela, London
I do not think this is a great idea at all, and think that all this enhancements are not addressing real problems and just covering them up with, things that may look good, but not nessarily beneficial. Having all these services within one campus, may also not be the best idea.
- Sarah, Camden, london, england
Superdisaster Nu Labor style...
- Steveo, Islington, London
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said projects such as Marlborough Hill would "set a benchmark for how schools and wider children's services in the 21st century should operate".
No it wont mate, this will be badly mismanaged, will go way over budget, finances will 'disappear', expenses will sky rocket, it will run way over time, etc, etc. Usual Labour cockup.
Balls by name ...
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
This was always a rough school and with todays generation it will only get worse no matter how much you pump in to it.
Waste of time and money.Personally I'd turn it into a super borstal.
- Steve, London
Good idea with the exception of placing the pupil referral unit on the same site as the mainstream schools. Pupils excluded from school for assaults etc would want to be kept separate from the other schoolkids for obvious reasons. If not then the danger of them running into a victim would be that it would start fights etc.
- Graham, London, UK
