Tuesday 19 August 2014

Do we need this many school places in this Catchment Area, with Oldfield School now expanded?

The new Braywick Court School is located in the same catchment area as Oldfield Primary School, which is scheduled to be replaced in 2015 by a much larger new school on the nearby site on Bray Road, with double the capacity of the old school to cater for 420 pupils. [CLICK HERE FOR RBWM MAP OF SCHOOL CATCHMENT AREAS]

The case for additional school capacity in the Oldfield and Bray Wards was part of the considerations of a Report dated 24 October 2013 by Angela Wellings, Head of Education and Childcare Services, on the future use of Chiltern Road site. In considering the future options for the Chiltern Road site this report notes, inter alia, that “there is a continued need for new primary school places in Maidenhead, but not in this specific area if the plan to relocate and expand Oldfield Primary School goes ahead.” (Which it has, despite it involving building on Green Belt land also in the flood plain.


"Future use of the Chiltern Road Site" - 24 Oct 2013


Does it make sense to approve plans for additional capacity COUNTER TO RECENT CABINET CONSIDERATIONS by using Green Belt Land and Public Open Space? 


Both expanded schools together would cater for 630 primary age pupils. Why does this catchment area need a further new expanded school? Are there plans to build new homes in this catchment area? Is the catchment area changing?

Wider choice for parents clearly make sense and the Winbury site happily supported up to 90 pupils as recently as 2009, but expansion on this site (to accommodate 210 pupils) at the expense of the local environment seems unnecessary and runs counter to recent Cabinet considerations.


If additional capacity as well as parental choice is the aim, and taking into account that the Chiltern Road site will continue to operate as a school when the New Oldfield school is in operation - why spoil a lovely public Park?


Zoomed in section of the RBWM Catchment Area Map - the brown area '19' is the Oldfield School Catchment area in which Braywick Court School is also.



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