CRAYFORD: Construction work on new academy begins soon (From News Shopper)

CRAYFORD: Construction work on new academy begins soon

3:20pm Sunday 14th March 2010 in

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CONSTRUCTION work on a multi-million pound new academy in Crayford will begin this spring.

Details of the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Crayford Academy have been given the final go-ahead from Bexley Council.

The 10,500 sq m school in Iron Mill Lane, Crayford, is due to open to its first secondary school pupils in September this year.

And the Year 7 places are already oversubscribed with three applications for every place.

The academy will cater for children aged from three to 18, and its primary department, Crayford Temple Grove, which encompassed the former Barnes Cray Primary School, opened in September last year.

The academy is being built on 24 acres of Metropolitan Open Land and when fully open with cater for 1,150 pupils.

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Federation says the part-two/part-three storey building was designed to harmonise with its open setting.

The buildings will be located in the middle of the site to minimise the effect on surrounding homes.

Some parts of the building will be clad in vertical timber with the bulk of the rest in grey and terracotta render.

The buildings will link in with the new primary school, which is single storey, progressing to the secondary school in two-storey buildings and a three-storey sixth form centre.

There will also be a two-storey technology centre.

The plans also include a four-court indoor sports hall, an external four-court multi-games area, new outdoor junior and senior grassed pitches, a dedicated autism unit and parking for 127 cars.

Vehicle access will be from Iron Mill Lane.

Federation chief executive Dr Elizabeth Sidwell said: “We are very excited to get the final phase of works underway.

“While buildings do not make a school, our aim is to give our students excellent facilities so they have equal opportunities to the very best. “ Councillor Simon Windle, Bexley Council’s cabinet member for schools said: “We have been working hard to address long-held concerns from parents in the north-east of the borough who were worried about the lack of locally accessible secondary school places.

“This new school is the solution to that problem.”