£8m school will be 'among UK's best'
Details have been unveiled of a new £8 million school being built in the Black Country.
Details have been unveiled of a new £8 million school being built in the Black Country.
Education chiefs say the new Tipton Green Junior School will be among the best in the country when work is completed next year.
The ultra-modern school will accommodate 50 per cent more pupils than the existing facilities, turning it into a three-form entry school for 360 children. Demand for places is over capacity with the Park Lane West school using five temporary classrooms to add extra space for 240 pupils.
It will be built behind the existing buildings which will remain in use until construction work is complete when they will be demolished.
The new school will also be directly linked to the nearby Victoria Infants School, with which they already share catering and dining facilities and a community hall.
The new school would be a two-storey building curving around the existing school and will increase parking provision from 14 spaces to 50.
New facilities would be made available to the wider community for activities such as adult training, childcare and sports tournaments.
Pupils and parents were asked for their ideas on the designs during consultation.
A full planning application has now been submitted to council planners with formal approval expected by March.
Sandwell Council education chief Councillor Ian Jones said they were now at the stage where the plans were starting to become reality, with preparatory work having already begun on site.
"I know the school staff are very excited about the development," he said.
"Although the existing school takes about 90 pupils a year they had to accommodate pupils in parts of the school that aren't really suitable as classrooms.
"It is excellent news for that part of Tipton. This will be a really nice learning environment and the children deserve the best.
" We will also be looking at what community facilities we can have in there," he added.
Construction is expected to start in earnest in the spring for completion date in winter of 2011/12.
