Sandwell’s education boss met pupils and teachers at a Smethwick school to celebrate a £6.6 million plan to create more than 700 new primary places across the borough. Councillor Simon Hackett, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, visited St Matthew’s CE Primary in Smethwick, where a new eight-classroom teaching block is planned. Councillor Hackett said: “We need more school places to meet high demand. We want as many parents as possible to be able to get their child into their first choice of school.
“It was great to meet pupils and staff at St Matthew’s. They were really enthusiastic about our plans. “Over the past six years, we have created more than 4,400 new primary places. We have an excellent record of providing these in good or outstanding schools. We’re now looking at our secondary schools. We need to make sure there are enough places for children when they move up from primary to secondary school.”
St Matthew’s head teacher Fiona Deakin said: “We are excited about the opportunities the expansion will bring, not only for St Matthew’s but for the whole community. “The development will bring additional school places to Smethwick and regeneration on Windmill Lane.”
Councillors earlier this month approved funding to expand a number of schools by September 2018.
Proposed schemes include:
- new classroom extensions at Crocketts Community and St Gregory’s Catholic primary schools;
- refurbishment work at Lyng Primary School;
- finishing refurbishment projects at Reddal Hill and Summerhill primary schools; and
- building a new eight-classroom teaching block at St Matthew’s CE Primary School.
The government has also approved a new primary free school for Smethwick, which will be called Shireland High Tech Primary School, creating 420 places. Sandwell Council is supporting the government’s Education Funding Agency as it seeks to identify a site for the new school.
