West London Free School Shows Off Expansion Plans
Public exhibition in Cambridge Grove on Friday and Saturday
West London Free School is inviting local people to visit the Hammersmith school on Friday June 15 and Saturday June 16 to view an exhibition of its plans for expansion.
The secondary school, which first opened its doors last September plans to extend Paddenswick House, the building which will become its permanent home from September 2013 and add a primary school in Cambridge Grove, which is its current temporary base.
The exhibition, which will be in the school's current base in Cambridge Grove will be open from 4pm till 6pm on Friday and 10am till noon on Saturday.
The planned extension will be four storeys high and will house an assembly hall, science labs and 18 extra classrooms.
The school says that Palingswick House, on King Street will be refurbished and extended at the rear before it moves there next year, and says the drawings are being shown to the public before the plans are submitted for planning permission to provide an opportunity for everyone to review and comment on the architects' plans.
The high profile West London Free School, which was set up by a group of parents led by writer Toby Young, opened with 120 year seven pupils, and this will gradually build up to 840.
However, its launch has been controversial, as Palingswick House was being used by 23 charity and community groups, who were forced to move out last year. This community hub is now based in offices within the Edward Woods Estate, across the road from Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush.
West London Free School, which promises its pupils a "classical education" has also announced plans to open a primary on the Cambridge Grove site, saying: "The plan is to join the two schools together, so any child at the primary will automatically go on to the secondary without having to submit a separate application.
" The sibling policy will also apply, so siblings of children at the primary will be eligible for places in Year 7 at the secondary when they're old enough.
" The primary will open with a Reception class in 2013 and then fill up, year group by year group, until it has a full complement of children in 2020."
Parents interested in applying for a reception place in either 2013 or 2014 are asked to complete an online form.
June 14, 2012
