AFTER attending the new school consultation meeting at Fernhill on Tuesday, February 9, I saw the future we were offered as this: To build an eight-form entry school on a small site next to two other schools and having no immediate access to playing fields and playgrounds. The provider for this new school is uncertain. It would be situated next to a primary school due for expansion and a large, selective girls' school, which was assured that their land wouldn't be used as part of the development or shared with the new school. The potential of 3,000 students heading out on to the Richmond Road during drop-off and collection times - a nightmare to organise even with a proposed staggered start. I wonder which pupils would have the late start and finish to the day? How much later would that be? How are parents expected to work around this? Constructing a school on this site would also deprive residents of the popular adult education facilities currently serving 2,000 students.
Wouldn't we all be better off if the local authority liaised with Richmond on the development of Greycourt - an existing local school with extensive grounds, on quiet streets, with vast opportunity for building improvements/extensions without causing complete disruption to residents in the local area? Greycourt's current intake of year seven students is 210, 109 of whom 'according to the consultation documents' come from its local North Kingston primary schools.
It is an improving school with a good reputation. Removing the north Kingston students who are admitted into Greycourt's year seven classes would surely jeopardise these improvements. It would be left with an immediate catchment area of the three small, one-form entry primary schools in Ham.
The argument that Richmond will also have increased pupil numbers is irrelevant if these pupils are nowhere near Greycourt.
MICHAEL MCDERMOTT Concerned North Kingston parent by email
