Administration Finally Concedes Need for New North Kingston School

20th January 2010

For at least the past two and a half years, the Conservatives have been calling for a new school in North Kingston, a campaign started by Cllr Dennis Doe and supported solidly by local parents.

In 2007, Cllr Doe produced irrefutable evidence that, in the north Kingston area alone, the foreseeable population growth required a new school. His figures were rubbished by the Lib Dems. In conjunction with concerned local parents, they even petitioned the Council Executive as far back as January 2008! Now, more than two years on, they agree that 16 new Secondary Forms of Entry are needed across the whole Borough.

It has now been confirmed that a new Co-ed, non-Selective Secondary School will be built in North Kingston, and that the priority for capital to finance the building has been agreed by Government. This school will take the majority of the new pupils in North Kingston, who will need the school in a few years time, and others who live nearby will have the choice of joining a revamped Grey Court Secondary School, with whom Kingston officers are working closely. Local help is also forthcoming, and will be offered by the neighbouring Tiffin Girls School. Finally, the entirety of the school will be on the North Kingston Centre site, not split with older pupils attending a 6th form block which would replace the Hawker Centre. Cllr Doe felt congratulations should be offered to the Council Officers who have got us this far, at long last, and added that the only concern is that we would prefer the school to be limited to 6 forms of entry per year.

Parents, residents, and Cllr Doe have all been left wondering, Why did it take so long?