Ambitious plans to turn Crowmell Community College in Chatteris into one of the first all-through schools in Cambridgeshire have been submitted by the county council
Chatteris took a step closer this week to becoming one of the first town's in the county to have an all through school offering education for children from nought to 18.
Cambridgeshire County Council has submitted its plans for redevelopment of the Cromwell Community College in Wenny Road. The proposals include demolition of an existing classroom block, internal reconfiguration and refurbishment work and the building of a two and a single storey extension.
Phase one of the plans include a pre-school facility for 52 0 to 4-year-olds, a one form entry of 210 place primary school for children aged four to 11, it will also include a 150 pupil expansion to the existing secondary school with a new teaching block and some remodelling and re-organisation of the existing facilities.
The first phase will also see external work that includes sports pitches, improved access, car, cycle and scooter parking and landscaping.
Phase 2 will see a single storey extension to the primary school to provide a further one form entry of 210 pupils including classrooms and facilities with associated landscaping, new sports pitches and ancillary works, creating a two form entry 420 pupil primary school on the Cromwell site.
The application follows public consultation held in November by the project design company Morgan Sindall.
At the time people were told the work would include improved facilities for art, science, music and drama with additional classrooms and assembly rooms for the Cromwell.
It was also stated construction is due to start this summer and should be completed by the start of the September 2020 school term.
The project team including the county council and the school's sponsor - the Active Learning Trust - also consulted with Fenland District Council alongside other stakeholder groups to ensure the proposals meet their planning requirements prior to the formal planning application being made. The application was submitted today (Thursday).
Back in November Cromwell headteacher Jane Horn said: "We are really excited to be given this opportunity to become an all through school, which will be the one of the first in Cambridgeshire. Working with families throughout their children’s education has obvious advantages and we are confident that this expansion will allow Cromwell Community College to continue to improve.
"Cromwell is part of the Active Learning Trust which has many very successful primaries and early years settings across the East of England. We are looking forward to working with our colleagues across the Trust to ensure that we deliver an education which is of the highest standards.”
Meanwhile the Active Learning Trust is asking for public support for its bid to open a new school in Wisbech, which will again offer an all-through education from four to 18.
Opening in September 2020, the new school would start with a Year 7 intake of up to 120 students, and then continue to roll out year groups growing to 1,050 students in the secondary phase and sixth form.
Clive Bush, interim chief executive of the Active Learning Trust said: “There is an immediate need for secondary school places in Wisbech and a long-term call for primary places, with this in mind we are asking the local community to register their support for our comprehensive plans in the consultation survey.”
Mr Bush continued: “The Active Learning Trust is not the only trust bidding to develop the new school, however the Active learning Trust plans encompass not only the establishment of a secondary school, but also the longer- term issue of primary school places in the area by planning to provide an all-through school.”
