Headteachers in Harrow are bidding to bring two free schools to the borough.
Both the Kodak site off Headstone Drive in Wealdstone and the soon to be vacant Heathfield School site in Pinner are up for grabs, and with the borough in urgent need for school places both schools could be open in time for September 2016.
The proposed sites include Harrow View Primary School and Pinner High School, tabled by a consortium of headteachers across Harrow.
Chris Livesey, headteacher at Nower Hill High School, said: “The schools in Harrow are committed to our local communities.
"We know that more primary school places are required and that more high school places will be required towards the end of this decade. We want new schools to be part of the successful Harrow family of schools.
"We also want the new schools to be for the whole local community.”
The Pinner site is also of interest to Bishop Ramsey, who want to use the building to bring Harrow its first Anglican free school.
Harrow View Primary School would be the brand new school built as part of the redevelopment of the current Kodak site. It is proposed that it would:
Open in September 2016;
Be in a brand new building with new facilities
Have 90 places a year for children to join Reception
Have a 52 place nursery class for children to attend for half-a-day for the year before the start Reception (26 in the morning, 26 in the afternoon)
Include a 12 place Centre for children with autistic spectrum disorder who need additional support
Admit children of all faiths and none, giving priority to local children and siblings from the second year of being open
Pinner High School would take over the current home of Heathfield School in Pinner:
Open in 2016 on the site of the current Heathfield School
Have 180 places a year for students to join Year 7
Be for students aged 11-18, including a sixth form on site that is part of the thriving Harrow Sixth Form Collegiate
Include a centre to support 12 children on the autistic spectrum to access a mainstream curriculum
Be established by existing successful local high schools
Admit children of all faiths and none, giving priority to local children and siblings from the second year of being
Janice Howkins, Headteacher of Bentley Wood High School, said: “We need parental support for these applications to be successful, especially from parents who live near these proposed schools and whose children who would start Reception or Year 7 in 2016 or 2017.
"We have to demonstrate to Government that parents want these schools to open.
"If you believe that Harrow needs more high quality school places, available to the whole local community, please show your support by completing the short form on the Harrow View and Pinner High websites by 25 April.”
You can leave your thoughts by visiting both www.harrowviewprimaryschool.org.uk and www.pinnerhighschool.org.uk.
