RADICAL proposals for a new £37m school have been revealed exclusively to News Shopper.

The plans would see London's biggest comprehensive, Crown Woods Secondary School, demolished and replaced with The Avery Hill Collegiate by September 2009.

The Avery Hill Collegiate would be a facility for the whole community consisting of four mini-schools on the same site. Work could start as early as next summer.

The collegiate in Riefield Road, Eltham, would have two schools for 11 to 16-year-olds, one focusing on sport and the other on biological and medical sciences.

There would also be one for 11 to 16-year-old high achievers and a fourth college for 16 to 19-year-olds.

Each college would make use of technology, with the possibility of studying the curriculum and taking exams online.

The development is part of Greenwich borough's £212m Building Schools for the Future programme.

This is the biggest single government investment in improving school buildings for more than 50 years.

The aim is to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over the next 10 to 15 years.

Crown Woods headteacher Michael Murphy first submitted his learning village proposal to Greenwich Council in June last year in response to parent and student needs.

The council confirmed Crown Woods is looking to change the school's organisation by introducing distinct groupings by ability and gender and organising mini-schools on a single campus.

The current number of pupils at the school is just below 1,800. Plans for the collegiate would see the number cut to 1,350.

The council confirmed the physical building of the collegiate has still not received planning permission.

A decision is expected by the end of the year.

Mr Murphy is now working with architects and the council on the design features of the buildings.

He expects artist impressions of the collegiate will be available within the next couple of months.

Mr Murphy said: "It's a revolutionary and radical proposal which will build on the school's progress over the past six years and through the use of the latest technology it will personalise the learning experience to meet the students' needs.

"It is also seen as a captial investment for the whole community."

The collegiate will cover the following areas:

  • Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 schooling
  • 16 plus education
  • Adult learning
  • Family support and community services
  • Vocational services.