Forecasts show that the ongoing development of the Whiteley area will result in demand for between 900 and 1,200 secondary school places. Subject to planning consent, the new secondary school in North Whiteley is intended to meet this demand, with scope to expand to 1,200 places should this be needed in future.
The Whiteley area currently falls within the catchment of The Henry Cort Community College. While current and future pupil numbers indicate the need for further secondary provision in the area, forecasts show that the continued operation of both The Henry Cort Community College and the planned new secondary school in North Whiteley would lead to surplus secondary school places across Fareham, with almost 450 excess places anticipated by 2030/31.
For many reasons, significant surplus places can have a direct impact on the viability of schools. Hampshire County Council is now consulting on three potential options to reduce the impact of the proposed new secondary school on existing local schools. These are:
- Option 1 – To build the North Whiteley secondary school as a new academy and keep The Henry Cort Community College operational but with a smaller catchment area.
- Option 2 – To build the North Whiteley secondary school as a new academy and close The Henry Cort Community College.
- Option 3 (the County Council’s preferred option) – To relocate The Henry Cort Community College to the new North Whiteley secondary school site.
The consultation gives local residents an initial opportunity to share their views on the above options. This would be followed by a further period of statutory consultation should the County Council decide, based on the feedback received from local residents, to pursue a particular option.
As part of the consultation, parents, carers and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to share their views and ask questions at two public drop-in meetings, to be held on the following dates:
- Monday 22 April 2024 between 4-7pm at The Henry Cort Community College
- Tuesday 23 April 2024 between 3-7pm at Cornerstone Church of England Primary School
To take part in the public consultation, residents can visit the County Council website where they will also find detailed information explaining the rationale and potential impact of each of the three proposed options, as well as potential next steps.