£200m Telford and Wrekin schools plan go-ahead

A massive £200 million shake-up of education in Telford and Wrekin, including controversial plans for a new academy in Oakengates, is set to get the go ahead this week.

Under the proposals five borough secondary schools and a primary school will be bulldozed and rebuilt as four academies. The T&W Council plan includes merging Wrockardine Wood and Sutherland schools.

The schools would be merged into an academy on the site of Oakengates Leisure Centre, in a plan which sparked protests from more than 1,500 parents and residents.

There would also be a new faith school in Priorslee incorporating Shropshire's only Catholic comprehensive, the Blessed Robert Johnson College, Wellington.

A third academy would be built in Stirchley with The Lord Silkin School, Grange Park Primary School and a sixth form being housed on the same site.

A school with 1,200 places will be built on the vacated BRJ site and pupils from the Charlton School in Wellington will move to the new building. Councillors are being recommended to approve the shake-up, subject to planning and other negotiations, on Thursday.

In a report to cabinet, the council claims it has listened to protestors in Oakengates and 'taken steps to address concerns' . It says: "The governing bodies of both schools now support the creation of a new 1,200 place co-operative academy and are committed to working together in partnership to develop plans for the new school.

It said the move will present management challenges and the two headteachers have created a change management plan to ensure lessons from other school mergers are implemented'.

The merger, announced last November, prompted 1,621 written objections. As a result of consultation, the size of the proposed new school at Priorslee has been reduced to 900 places and the Oakengates academy increased to 1,200.