- Public meeting to discuss new Weald secondary school plan
- Support Weald Schooling campaign sees surge in support
- Opportunity grows to bring Weald schooling closer to home
- Public meetings set at 9.30am and 7.30pm on November 13, 2024 at the Vestry Hall, Cranbrook, TN17 3HA
Support Weald Schooling – a community campaign to build a new non-selective secondary school for The Weald – is calling two public meetings at 9.30am and 7.30pm on Wednesday November 13, 2024 to bring the community up to date with its progress.In the six months since the Support Weald Schooling campaign started, over 1,120 people have signed the petition to build a new non-selective secondary school to serve children in The Weald.
Recent campaigning in Benenden, Biddenden, Colliers Green, Cranbrook, Frittenden, Goudhurst, Hawkhurst, Headcorn, Rolvenden, Sissinghurst and Staplehurst has seen a surge of support from parents, local businesses and communities for the plan to build a new non-selective secondary school on the site once used by High Weald Academy in Cranbrook.
This school is urgently needed with the Department for Education recognising these villages within a 7-mile radius of Cranbrook are in a ‘cold spot’ for senior education as they have inadequate non-selective secondary school provision. With 530 children leaving primary schools within 7 miles of Cranbrook each year, this lack of provision cannot continue.
Currently, children across The Weald are typically travelling up to an hour each way to schools as far as 12 miles from their home. Children as young as 11 are leaving home before 7am to get to school. Literally being bussed out of their hometown, their primary school friendship groups are exploded across a range of secondary schools. In some families, siblings are sent in opposite directions to different schools. For a growing number of parents, the situation is so intolerable for their children they are opting to home school them.
Plans to expand existing secondary schools do not address the issue: making large schools bigger doesn’t bring them closer to home for children in The Weald or support local communities.
“We started our campaign to see what level of support there was for our plan to build a new non-selective secondary school in the Weald,” says David Selby of the Support Weald Schooling Steering Group. “Our cross-parish outreach has shown without a doubt a wealth of support for our plan from parents, primary schools, communities and businesses within the affected villages and towns. We know that the site previously occupied by the High Weald Academy in Cranbrook has potential to house a new school, while keeping the current (Ofsted rated Outstanding) Snowfields special educational needs school in place.
“The public reaction to the project has led us to organise these public meetings,” says Cllr Kim Fletcher, Chairman of Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council. “We have plans to share, but also want to hear parents’ views as to what the future could hold. I would urge people to come to one of our meetings to have their voice heard as together we can push harder to bring learning closer to home.”
If Support Weald Schooling is successful in building a new non-selective secondary school in Cranbrook, children in The Weald would be able to learn closer to home, develop their primary school friendships and grow within their established social groups. Meanwhile, communities will thrive as youngsters spend more time near home, socialising and contributing to their local area.
Support Weald Schooling by:
- Signing the petition at supportwealdschooling.co.uk and sign up for regular updates on the campaign’s progress
- Attending one of the public meetings on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at the Vestry Hall, Cranbrook, TN17 3HA to learn more and have your voice heard
Media contact for further information or comment:
[email protected] / 07787 533143
