West London Free School Set to Expand
Council approves plans for primary school in Cambridge Grove
West London Free School is set to expand after Hammersmith and Fulham Council gave it the go ahead to open a primary school.
The plans to redevelop a site on Cambridge Grove with several ground floor and first floor extensions, and a brand new two-storey classroom block, were approved by the council’s Planning Application Committee on Wednesday March 13.
The site is currently used by the West London Free School’s secondary pupils but it is expected to become solely a primary school site from next year, when the secondary school is planning to move to the refurbished Palingswick House in King Street.
The new two storey building on Cambridge Grove will provide a reception class block with two classrooms, toilets, and a wet play and classroom area at ground level, while on the first floor there will be specialist classrooms.
The ground floor extensions to the existing buildings will make current classrooms bigger, cover an external walkway and provide a new storage area. There will be two new classrooms at first floor level and a library.
H&F Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr Helen Binmore, says: " This is great news for the borough, meaning more school places, with parents being given more choice and say over where they send their children to school. The new buildings will provide much needed new classrooms and extra space for our pupils."
Toby Young, chairman of the West London Free School, says: " We’re delighted our planning application has been approved. We know parents are interested in our education offer because the new primary school is already the most over-subscribed primary in Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster."
The school was built in 1964 and was originally called Elizabeth Burgwin School. It more recently housed pupils from Cambridge School before they moved to the former Bryony Centre in the summer of 2011, with the West London Free School moving in to the site in September of the same year.
The school’s first intake will be a two-form entry at reception level, with two classes of 30 children in each.
Parents interested in applying for a reception place are asked to complete an online form.
March 14, 2013
