An exceptional case to develop our school

Published: 22 July, 2010

Open letter to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education

• WE understand that the review of a small number of Building for Schools sample projects, of which South Camden Community School is one, is being undertaken on the basis of priority and need on a case-by-case basis. 

We believe that there is an exceptional case for the redevelopment of SCCS to be allowed to continue for the following reasons.

Our school is due to expand by up to two forms of entry (60 places per year) to meet projected growth in student numbers in the south of the borough.  

This expansion cannot be accommodated in the existing buildings or site layout.

The Somers Town and St Pancras ward in which SCCS is located is rated as one of the 10 per cent most deprived in England and the school itself is rated as one of the 7 per cent most deprived in England. 

SCCS is in the heart of the King’s Cross regeneration area and has developed a number of very successful partnerships with businesses and organisations who are involved in this long-term, large-scale project.

We believe that the redevelopment of the school is integral to the vision for the whole area, bringing substantial benefits both to the existing community and to the future residents and employers who will be moving into our immediate neighbourhood.

The chosen design reconfigures our extremely confined urban site to create additional outdoor space for physical activity as well as the additional classrooms and specialist teaching spaces to accommodate the increased roll.

It will also reduce student movement between lessons, improving punctuality, behaviour, learning and progress. 

The buildings which are to be replaced have been identified as being in poor condition and/or unsuitable in size/shape for needs of current and future curriculum: 

Ofsted in 2007 noted the impact of “the severe physical constraints of the site”.

The design of the new and refurbished buildings has been based on a careful analysis of curriculum needs and organised to facilitate closer collaborative work.

This is especially important in the case of the school’s specialist subjects of art, drama and music which are currently dispersed in three different locations around the school, with music itself split between two widely separated locations. 

We believe that this will make learning more efficient and lead directly to an improvement in standards in all subject areas.

Throughout the design process we have sought efficiency savings in line with our commitment to sustainability, recently recognised by a distinction in the 2010 Teaching Awards in the DFE Sustainable Schools category.

The remodelling of the school and grounds to meet high sustainability standards is set to contribute significantly to energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets, while the proposed integration of the Somers Town Community Sports Centre into the school’s estate will secure its continuing operation for the benefit of the community, local schools and the students of University College London and reduce costs by avoiding the need to provide a second sports hall for the school’s use on a very cramped site.

We are now only eight weeks from the scheduled start of construction on site; final design details are being agreed after three-and-a-half years’ work in which we have developed our vision for our future school, undertaken feasibility studies, drawn up our design brief and worked in dialogue with bidders for the last 12 months to reach preferred bidder stage. 

The school has held back on spending money on refurbishment and upgrading of equipment and resources for the past two years in anticipation of the radical improvements BSF would bring, and has committed so much time, energy and resource to reach this point of readiness for the project that to reverse the decision now, at this late stage, will be a devastating blow for present and future students, their families, staff and our community partners alike.

ROSEMARY LEEKE
Headteacher
JILL HOFFBRAND
Chair of Governors
South Camden
Community School