Turing House School will be keeping its 80:20 split between Teddington and Whitton children despite an “overwhelming” consultation response calling for this to change.
The school is expected to move from its temporary Teddington home to Hospital Bridge Road in Whitton in two years and consultation over issues including the admissions policy concluded this week.
Of the 412 people who responded, 266 said the school should change the proportions, which currently have 80 per cent of the school’s intake admitted by the school’s Teddington admissions point and 20 per cent from the school’s intended permanent site in Heathfield.
The proposed site is in Hospital Bridge Road
131 people agreed with the split and 15 did not know whether it should be changed.
The consultation report said the school will compromise over its policy and will press ahead with the 80:20 split for 2017 but will revisit the issue for the 2018 admissions.
Councillor for Whitton Grant Healy, who has called for a 50:50 split, said: “I am very disappointed in the decision the school board of governors to stick to the 80:20 when overwhelmingly the people have voted in good faith against this.
“All we want to get is a fair deal for Whitton should the school be built on the Hospital Bridge Road site and I don’t call it a compromise for them to just kick the issue into the long grass and say they can pick it up later.”
Heathfield councillor John Coombs also expressed disappointment in the announcement and said having a school the other side of the A316 would create a great deal of cross-borough traffic.
How people responded to whether the school should keep the 80:20 split
The consultation report stated that just 11 per cent of the applications for places at the school in 2016 were from Heathfield and Whitton, but Cllr Coombs said most parents most likely did not apply to the school because they did not know they could.
He said: “They are not going to apply to a school where their children have got to cross the A316.”
Twickenham MP Tania Mathias remained opposed to the Whitton site altogether and said: “It does not reflect the current demand for school places in the borough and I have called for more suitable locations to be considered.”
She highlighted a recent impact assessment for Turing House that illustrated a surplus of school places around the proposed site, with places at Twickenham and Hampton Academies unfilled.
Dr Mathias added: “Pushing forward with the current site will only harm the long term financial viability of local schools in the immediate vicinity, rather than addressing the need for more school places in the borough.
“Though I accept that there are few suitable sites elsewhere, I would prefer a site closer to home for Teddington and Fulwell families.”
Richmond Council's cabinet member for schools, Paul Hodgins, said though the admissions policy is at present for the 2017 intake, he was disappointed with the response to the consultation.
He said: "They [Turing House] are not giving any indication that they are minded to change their policy when they move to their permanent location, and seem to reject most of the results of the admissions part of the consultation.
"Moreover, they seem to blame many of the responses on local councillors campaigning on behalf of their residents. These are councillors who are trying to find a positive outcome for all, and quite rightly have encouraged people to respond.
“We will continue to strongly advocate a policy that is fairer to the local residents, while still serving the demand in the borough. It is clear from the consultation results that residents will also be looking for that change."
It is understood the Education Funding Agency and Hounslow Council are still negotiating over the Hospital Bridge Road site. A spokesman from the Department for Education said he could not comment further.
The school’s published admissions number (PAN) will remain at 150, after 198 of the respondents disagreed with the proposed increase to 200.
What is your take on plans for the school? Email the news desk on george.odling@london.newsquest.co.uk.
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