Our plans for secondary schools

Our plans for secondary schools

Major change is coming

If we get the go-ahead from the government, our plans will see £207million going into new or improved school buildings and better facilites for teaching the widest possible curriculum.

Expanding popular schools

Our proposals for expanding popular schools and opening new ones will add to the drive towards higher standards for all our pupils.

The borough's two most over-subscribed schools, Lady Margaret and Sacred Heart are each expanding by one class per year.

Each year many local families are disappointed at not getting their children in to these two schools, so, to enable more children to go to their top choice school, both will expand by 150 places. Fulham Cross will also expand by 150 places.

New sixth forms

All secondary schools will have sixth forms, giving more pupils the chance to continue at school until they are 18.

The positive influence of sixth forms on the performance of a school is well-established. Older, more motivated students, who have chosen to pursue their studies, tend to have a positive impact on younger pupils' expectations and discipline. And schools with sixth forms find it easier to attract the best teachers.

We plan to add sixth forms to all schools that currently do not have one.

Phoenix High School plans 260 places and the sixth form at Sacred Heart High School will have 200 places; Fulham Cross, Henry Compton and Hurlingham & Chelsea will have a combined total of 720 new places. Building work to expand Lady Margaret School's current sixth form by another 145 new places, is already underway. The expanded sixth form building is due to open in September 2010.

The William Morris Sixth Form is hugely popular and produces excellent results. Options are currently being considered on the relative merits of developing its existing site in order to continue its growing success.

A new Fulham College

Henry Compton and Fulham Cross Girls' schools will federate in September 2009 to become a single institution with a collaborative sixth form. The schools would have a single governing body and one principal, and provide 10 classes per academic year.

Single-sex education on both sites would still continue until pupils were 14, but in Year 10 students would be offered some mixed-sex classes.

There will be major remodelling of the two sites. Building work has started on a new £1.5million drama suite on the Henry Compton site and on a £2million two-storey modern languages block at Fulham Cross School.

A new Hammersmith Academy

A brand-new school in the centre of Hammersmith is under construction. Building work began on the Melina Road site off Goldhawk Road in June.

The new school is scheduled to open to Year 7 and Year 12 pupils from September 2011. Sponsored by the Mercers' Company and the Information Technologists' Company, Hammersmith Academy will be a neighbourhood school for children of all abilities and will have specialisms in creative and digital media and information technology. It will cater for 780 students aged 11 to 18.