Proposed New Secondary School in North Kingston

[RainingTofu]

What do you think about the proposed new secondary school to be built on the North Kingston Centre site?

[whichwitch]

My main thought is "about blooming time!" Too late for my youngest son by a year according to the plans but it will give North Kingston parents options. As things stand if you don't get a place at one of the grammars or opt to go private then you have no choice other than Grey Court.

Grey Court is definitely much improved and I have a daughter who is thriving there but it won't be right for everyone. It is also oversubscribed now, I believe, and will therefore not automatically be able to be picked as a safe guaranteed place for many of us here. I have heard rumours of parents lying about addresses to get in there now from Richmond, a few years ago they wouldn't have touched the school with a barge pole!

[Nou]

Personally I think the idea of building it next to Tiffin Girls' and taking some of their facilities in the process is crazy. I also wonder how the local transport and infrastructure is going to cope with that site. Having looked at the responses to the consultation it seems that certain parties including the LEA are intent on destroying Tiffin Girls or forcing it to relocate elsewhere. I have every sympathy for
those who don't have a good school locally as I am in the same position, but I think the proposal as it stands is seriously flawed.

[SunlampVexesEel]

There has been a massive increase in housing in the area, mostly in the form of high density flats and hence there is insufficient capacity at both primary and secondary level. New schools are inevitable; at least it won't be selective!

[whichwitch]

For those interested : the situation dates back to the mid 80s when Tudor School ( the then high school for the area) was shut. Tiffin Girls moved out of what is now the North Kingston Centre and into the Tudor School buildings. Fern Hill primary was also built taking up some of the other space on the site. Essentially the Conservatives closed a non selective school and allowed a selective school to take over those facilities. Tiffin Girls having no catchment only takes roughly between 15-30% of its intake from the borough although RBK erroneously uses all the available places in its data.

Nou, the new school proposal is that it will be built on the North Kingston centre site which currently is used for adult education. These services and courses will be absorbed at other sites as I understand it. I do understand that there will be issues regarding transport with two high schools and a primary school in such close proximity to each other. The school will initially just be for the initial 240 year 7's in 2015 and then admitting 240 children every year after that so they have a while to get the transport issue sorted out.

I don't understand what you mean by the new school taking some of Tiffin's facilities. If some facilities are shared or Tiffin Girls have to give upsome grounds is that really an issue? Tiffin Girls has very large grounds for a four form entry school, the new school would, comparatively, have very limited space. I may have missed something so could you please clarify?

[Nou]

Yes, the girls have been told that they will lose the the use of the astroturf pitch and also their only grassed outdoor break-time space. What concerns me, is the placing of it right next to Tiffin Girls as I am sure there will be conflict between the kids at the schools and I wonder if this is all a deliberate strategy. I don't agree that Tiffin has "very large" grounds. There is the field at the front but not much at the sides or the back.

I live near a large comprehensive and the anti social behaviour and effect on the transport system has to be seen to be believed. Are the authorities really going to lay on extra buses? The whole area comes to a standstill on open evening. As the proposal currently stands the extra traffic for the new secondary and expanded primary could induce that volume of traffic everyday. At the moment the 65 bus service is appalling, especially in the afternoon. I don't have a car but notice that people who do are reluctant to walk even a short distance to school!

I think what really struck me was the Consultation comments and responses documents on the RBK website. A lot of bile was reserved for Tiffin Girls from the local residents (who presumably can't get places there) and also the LEA which more of less said it would like Tiffin to admit more locals or move away.

I do sympathise with local parents. I live in a Borough where the Conservative LEA closed 3 secondary schools in my local area alone, leaving just one large community school and 3 church schools in the whole borough. The buildings that used to house the schools were variously redeveloped as social housing, a private school(!)/council offices and a large private health club. Like Kingston a lot of local kids cannot get places in the borough and have to go to various parts of London, a new 50% church intake academy opened last year, but has a small intake.

I have a daughter at Tiffin, in the upper school, who will have left before this all occurs, and another daughter who applied this year - but is unlikely to get in. I felt I had to comment because the whole thing seems so engineered to damage Tiffin Girls school.

[SunlampVexesEel]

the girls have been told that they will lose the the use of the astroturf pitch and also their only grassed outdoor break-time space.

Is this proposal documented anywhere? I also heard the tennis courts were under threat... I would be interested in seeing the plans.

and 2015 is too late for us to benefit.

[Nou]

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/secondary_expansion

There are various documents on this page from Kingston's website. I have not seen a detailed plan though. Presumably Tiffin Girls's has!

[Nou]

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/secondary_expansion

There are various documents on this page from Kingston's website. I have not seen a detailed plan though. Presumably Tiffin Girls's has!

DD has just confirmed that the tennis courts (for rent to the public) will also go. Basically all the sports facilities and park of the car park.

[whichwitch]

Don't see why they have to "go" can't they be shared? That seems a bit pointless to me