Salesian College and John Paul II Schools to be merged
Plans have been announced for a consultation on a new Roman Catholic Primary School for the borough.
Currently there are two Catholic 11-16 secondary schools: John Paul II (mixed) and
Salesian College (boys) within the Borough of Wandsworth. There are shortcomings with
both buildings and they require significant capital investment.
In addition, the current forecast demand for Roman Catholic school places does not justify the current 9 Forms of Entry provided by the existing schools in Wandsworth. The forecasts suggest that only 7 Forms of Entry (FE) will be required in the future. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark, the Salesians of Don Bosco and Wandsworth Borough Council believe that the need for Catholic secondary education is best met by establishing a new purpose built mixed 11-18 school with the resources and environment to provide a centre of academic excellence for Catholic pupils in Wandsworth.
Funding for the new school will come through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
programme. The BSF aim is to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England
over the next 10-15 years and in so doing, to transform secondary education.
Wandsworth Council has successfully applied for BSF funding for all its secondary schools. This will be available from 2010. Plans submitted with the Council’s bid included provision to build a new 7FE Catholic Secondary School.
A new school that is an 11-18 co-educational Voluntary Aided Catholic school, would replace the two existing schools. The new school buildings are expected to be ready in 2012. Wandsworth Borough Council and the existing trustees, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark and the Salesians of Don Bosco will work in partnership on the project.
It is believed that the most suitable school site available in Wandsworth for the new School is the site where the Salesian College is currently located. The site has good transport links and is large enough to accommodate the proposed new school. The address is Surrey Lane, London SW11 3PB.
The new school will offer a Catholic education based on the Church’s teaching and the
educational approach of St John Bosco. It would specialise in Business and Enterprise plus Modern Foreign Languages. In addition there would be extra provision for both gifted and talented pupils as well as students with SEN and small resource base for pupils
with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
It is anticipated that the school will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for the full range of
abilities from the Catholic community within Wandsworth. This 1,200 place School will
admit 210 children a year and have a sixth form of 150 students. Sixth form provision
will work in partnership with the St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College. All students on roll at either John Paul II or Salesian College will be offered a place in
the new school.
A consultation document is being sent to interested parties and will be circulated via pupils in
Catholic primary schools in Wandsworth, pupils at John Paul II School and Salesian
College, local Catholic churches, all local schools and neighbouring councils. After the initial consulation a second stage of consultation will take place based on a more detailed proposal to be published in June 2007. As part of the stage two consultation process, there will be public meetings held at
John Paul II School and Salesian College. We will publish the dates of these meetings
in June.
You can give your views on this proposal by writing to: New Catholic School in Wandsworth, Archdiocese of Southwark, Commission for Schools and Colleges, St Edward’s House, St Paul’s Wood Hill, Orpington, Kent BR5 2SR, or email bsf@wandsworth.gov.uk. The final date for receipt of your views is 18th May 2007.
May 4, 2007
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