Bigger does not always mean better (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bigger does not always mean better

8:34am Thursday 26th November 2009 in

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It is disturbing to learn that five Bradford secondary schools could dramatically increase their capacity in the final stage of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Under the proposals going out to consultation, two of the schools – Thornton Grammar and Belle Vue Girls’ – could have their capacities increased by several hundred places each.

Now, no-one doubts that the district’s school population is expected to increase significantly over the next decade and something has to be done to cope with that rise.

The debate centres on whether making super-sized schools is really the way forward.

Adding what is, in effect, enough capacity to make a brand-new school to Thornton Grammar would bring its overall limit to well over 2,000 pupils. Such numbers would surely have a detrimental impact on the education of those children.

Instead of feeling part of a close-knit community and receiving the individual attention that they should, there are very real fears that they would become just a number.

A far better solution would be to build new schools in the communities where they are needed and of more manageable sizes.

Ideally, no secondary-level school should have more than 900-1,000 pupils.

Students at such schools would feel more valued, get a better education and have to travel less every day.

Centralising educational organisations into larger institutions may be financially more viable, but at what cost to our children’s future?