New primary schools

Maintaining and improving school buildings is ongoing in response to the growth of the city and the increasing birth rate.

Core Strategy Target 9.1

Delivery of new primary schools in Barne Barton, Devonport, Millbay, Southway and Plymstock, and the Whitleigh campus, by 2008-2016.

The Strategy for Change 2008 (known as Investment for Children), sets the priorities for new school buildings, closures, amalgamations and improvements. There have been some revisions to the previous targets for individual schools, but progress has been made. The Strategy is to be updated in 2011 to 2012, to respond to the increase in the number of births, which has begun to feed into primary schools.

There has been a significant change to the allocations of capital finance for schools and the Government has reduced its capital investment by 60 per cent over the life of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Projects

Barne Barton - amalgamation of Barne Barton and Bull Point primary schools on new site

Status: Riverside Community Primary School opened in February 2008.

Devonport - amalgamation of Mount Wise and Marlborough primary schools on new site

Status: This project is no longer included in the Council’s Capital Programme. Changes in demographics across the city means that there is an increase in the number of primary school places required so both schools will be retained. Mount Wise Community Primary School is one of five schools to receive funding in the Council’s Basic Need programme to refurbish schools in order to cater for increased numbers.

Millbay - new Secondary School and expanded Primary Provision

Status: The Millbay AAP provides for the development of a new secondary school. There are no plans at the moment to move forward with this. However when the Millbay area begins to be developed, the need for school places is likely to increase.

Southway - amalgamation of Langley Infant and Junior schools on same site and amalgamation of Southway and Tamerton Vale schools on the former Southway Community College site

Status: Oakwood Primary School opened in September 2009 (replacing Langley Infant and Junior Schools).The new Beechwood Primary School opened in June 2010 (replacing Southway and Tamerton Vale Primary Schools).

Plymstock - new school within the quarry site

Status: The North Plymstock AAP proposes a new primary school as part of the Plymstock Quarry development. Heads of Terms and S106 funding have been signed. The requirement for primary school places for the first phase of housing development will be met by expansion of Pomphlett Primary. In due course, a 1.5 form entry primary school will be built on a site identified by the developer.

Whitleigh campus - relocation of Woodlands Special School to a new campus, co-located with Sir John Hunt Community College and Whitleigh Primary School

Status: The Wood View Learning Community is completed and operational.

In addition:

• Ernesettle Community School opened in 2008
• Shakespeare Primary School opened in 2009 (replacing Chaucer and West Park Primary Schools)
• Mayflower Community Schools opened in 2009 (replacing South Trelawney and North Prospect Primary Schools)
• High View Primary School (replacing Highfield and Plym View Primary Schools) opened in September 2009 in temporary accommodation and moved into a new purpose built building in February 2011
• The development at the former Estover Campus has seen the secondary element, Tor Bridge High, opened in two phases, September 2010 and September 2011. The primary element and special school will be completed in September 2012.

This page of the annual monitoring report was updated December 2011.