Malbank School and Sixth Form College in Nantwich is set to expand to cater for 120 extra students, writes Stephen Topping.
Cheshire East Council has given permission for the school on Welsh Row to expand, with work expected to begin later this year.
With more than 1,500 new homes being built around the town, the school intake is set to rise considerably over the next few years.
Malbank was rated as “requires improvement” by regulator Ofsted last year, and CEC hopes the move could help turn the school’s fortunes around.
It is expected the new buildings will house Maths classrooms – with the subject currently being taught from temporary buildings.
Cllr Dorothy Flude, cabinet member for children and families, told cabinet on Tuesday: “Malbank School is certainly in need of a decent maths block – at present they are operating out of two portacabins which certainly are not suitable.”
Urging the cabinet to support the move, Cllr Arthur Moran, independent member for Nantwich North and West, said there are more than 1,500 new homes being built in Malbank’s catchment area.
Cllr Jill Rhodes, cabinet member for public health and corporate services, added: “Maths is a key area of the curriculum.
“If you haven’t got an area where your maths department can function then you are always going to be at risk of the decision that was given by Ofsted.”
It’s quite frankly absurd how many new homes they’re building in Nantwich considering we have only 2 high schools, no real police station and 2 doctors surgeries covering the entire town. I’m personally with Kiltearn Medical Center and things are so bad there that at opening time the automated phone answering system has to reject calls because it can’t handle any more calls in the queue, if it wasn’t so bad it would almost be comical. If the council are going to keep allowing housing to be built they should have to pay to increase the infrastructure of the town to support all the people.
My hope would be as part of any planning application Cheshire East would look at the full impact on Nantwich including schools, doctors , road infrastructure etc. My guess is they continue to be successful at failing in this regard , the solution more local decision making to be given to the communities most effected
Are the housing developers going to pay for this then? Oh no silly me what am I thinking.