Education

Emmbrook School to stay put

By Laura Herbert
November 05, 2012

The Emmbrook School will remain on its current site it has been announced.

Back in 2005 Wokingham Borough Council proposed to move the secondary from Emmbrook Road to Finchampstead as part of its 10-year education investment programme.

Under the plans, the council proposed using the school site to house a state-of-the-art vocational centre for 14 to 19-year-olds.

The consultation raised significant concerns with many parents as the new school's potential pupils would need to be bussed over to Finchampstead and catchment areas would also need to be re-drawn.

But, the council reviewed its strategy following changes to Government policy and legislation about building new schools and has invested £2.45 million to improve The Emmbrook, including extensive flood prevention work, at its current site.

Were you one of the parents originally consulted? What do you think of the decision? Tell us by leaving a comment below, email lauraherbert@trinitysouth.co.uk or call (0118) 918 3027.

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Most recent user comments 7 of 7

Not sure what's 'Daily Mail' about my objection to a 7 year project, no doubt costing us taxpayers a lot in time and money, finally being scrapped. Does it take seven years to see the stupidity in MOVING a school, when we need more schools (and plan to build many more homes which in turn will require MORE school places)?

The council were going to move the Emmbrook to the garrison site, weren't they? So, rather than your idea - which is EXACTLY THE SAME as my idea - to build an extra school on the garrison, the council spent 7 years toying with the idea of 'moving' the Emmbrook to that site. Before realising that we actually need more schools, not to waste money moving one across the borough. It took you and I far less time to realise this.

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
06/11/2012 at 11:36

Badger - my concern about Oakbank are:

1. When (and if) Oakbank reaches 600 pupils it will still be only 4 classes a year (assuming no Sixth Form) and a total of only 20 classes cannot support the full range of GCSE subjects and ability groups for all students to prosper. Like or not streaming (not selection) is necessary for all students to reach their potential.

2. Without a Sixth form and bing much bigger how can the school afford the range of specialist subject teachers to meet the needs of pupils ranging from special needs to gifted and talented.

3. A small school cost more to run and their budget is top sliced from the education budget for other schools across the country.

What the south of WBC needs is a full size, co-ed, non-selective secondary school. Actually pretty much like Embrook in Arborfield would be. Then the catchment areas could be redrawn and (after a few years of current local to Emmbrook children catching the bus like Damiano did ), many few children would need to travel by bus.

Of course Emmbrook in Arborfield has a few problems: Money, footpaths, money, council procrastination and money; but a new school in addition to Emmbrook would have all the same problems as well and the potential to complicate the Oakbank student number issue. At present my 5yo would have the choice of 4 schools, none closer than 4 miles !

RabidModerate, Finchampstead
06/11/2012 at 11:34

Liking the 'Daily Mail' dig, spot on. Rumour has it the council plans to build a school on the Garrison site if and when the MoD vacates. If this materialises and Emmbrook remains open it should go a long way to solving the boroughs secondary school problems. Lots of ifs and buts, and still nothing in the immediate Finchamstead area. Not sure about the dig at Oakbank as they should take up to 600 pupils in time, with plans to add a sixth form – it all helps, and it is a non-selective state school.

badger44, Farley Hill
06/11/2012 at 11:01

used to live in Finch, RabidMdoerate, if you're asking. Grew up there, got the bus to Emmbrook every morning.

i don't doubt the need for schools - but does MOVING a school address the problem, or just waste money? how about keeping the Emmbrook - where it is - and building an EXTRA school?

You may have been told "there has never been the money to build a new school", you may even believe it, but it isn't true. After all, aren't the council sitting on £100m to 'regenerate' the town centre (by concreting-over Elms Field)?

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
05/11/2012 at 17:31

Damiano may think the plan to move Emmbrook School was stupid but I doubt he lives in Finchampstead or Arborfield. The need for a school in the south, but not the bijoux schoolette on the former Ryeish site, is clear. The case for a school in the South has been made by 2 or 3 studies but there has never been the money to build a new school. The town centre has 2.5 secondary schools and WBC needs more school places now for Primary Schools and in 5 years time for secondary schools. Of course asking Emmbrook parents if they want to move 'their' school results in significant concerns ! Just like consulting Turkeys about Christmas ! What about the Wokingham Times doing a proper analytical report on the school needs for Wokingham rather than asking for Daily Mail reader type comments.

RabidModerate, Finchampstead
05/11/2012 at 16:18

Seven years to change their minds on this stupid plan... I do hope we haven't lost hundreds of thousands of pounds from the public purse on consultations, planning and marketing for this ridiculous idea.

(of course we have)

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
05/11/2012 at 14:21

Catchment areas / criteria need to be looked at anyway- anyone living in Finchampstead (as an example) is currently disadvantaged when it comes to secondary school selection as there are no schools south of the railway line. Parents concerned for children being bussed to Finchampstead- many are already there- have a look how many busses go through Finch in the mornings. I do think the site in Finch would have been an issue for pedestrian access but this is now not an issue.

Wobbly Bob
05/11/2012 at 14:06

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Education

Emmbrook School to stay put

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