Hammersmith and Fulham schools plan slated by teacher's union

Proposals for a massive shake-up of Hammersmith and Fulham schools have been slated by a teacher's union leader.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has backtracked on plans to relocate Queensmill School for children with Special Education Needs (SEN) in Clancarty Road, Fulham, to Gibbs Green School in Mund Street, West Kensington.

H&F now wants to move Queensmill to the Bridge Academy in Fulham. The academy will in turn be relocated to the site of Cambridge School in Hammersmith.

Hammersmith and Fulham National Union of Teachers secretary Dennis Charman said: "One of the questions I will ask is what is there to be gained by moving Queensmill to the Bridge Academy site?

"They have said they want to build a new school for Queensmill but it would be easier to do that at the Cambridge School site. I do not see any professional or educational argument for moving Queensmill to the Bridge site and the Bridge to Cambridge."

The shake-up has also been criticised by Acton, Ealing and Shepherd's Bush MP Andy Slaughter. He said: "They have changed their minds and all the schools that will have to move face huge disruption."

"This is not being driven by educational needs, I think it is being driven because they have done a deal with a developer over Gibbs Green."

A council spokesman said the borough was keeping its options open and had not yet struck a deal to sell the Gibbs Green site. He added: "There will still be a multi-million pound building for Queensmill. We are thinking about what exactly will be the best site that will enable us to fulfil our vision of providing the best state education for children with special education needs."

An eight week consultation into the proposals ends on January 19.

THE PROPOSED MOVES:

Queensmill School at Clancarty Road, Fulham, goes to The Bridge Academy, Finlay Road, Fulham.

The Bridge Academy moves to Cambridge School for pupils with learning difficulties in Cambridge Grove, Hammersmith.

Cambridge is split with some pupils going to Phoenix High School in The Curve, Shepherd's Bush, and others going to the merged Henry Compton and Fulham Cross Girls' School, Fulham.