Three Camden schools get go-ahead

Artist's impression of the new academy

Great news for Camden parents and children today, both in the north and the south of the borough.

The coalition government has just announced that three key schools projects are going to go ahead – the UCL sponsored academy on Adelaide Road, the rebuild of South Camden Community School and the rebuild of the outstanding Swiss Cottage school for children with special needs. And last night Camden’s planning committee gave planning permission for the new school on Adelaide Road.

A new school in the north-west of Camden, with a respected partner like UCL, was one of the first priorities of the Liberal Democrats when we were elected four years ago. The previous Labour administration had simply ignored the shocking fact that fewer than half of Camden’s children get a place in Camden secondary schools – and many in Camden’s Labour party did everything they could to stop the new academy going ahead.

It’s fantastic that the new school has now got both planning permission and the government money it needs and building can start. Together with the go-ahead for the rebuild and expansions of South Camden Community School, which will provide extra secondary places in the south of the borough, and the Swiss Cottage school rebuild, this really is great news for Camden children.

Meanwhile, we look forward to hearing more about the other Camden schools that were to get improvements under the building schools for the future programme, including Hampstead School.

If you want to see all the details, the Department of Education Press Release is at http://www.education.gov.uk/news/press-notices-new/bsf-sample-schools.