PLANS for a new four-16 secondary school have been unveiled to the public.

Education bosses have come up with two options for a new all-through school on the current site of St Mark's Church of England Primary School in Shirley.

The first proposal is to keep the original Victorian building.

The second is to replace the original building with a brand new block.

In both options the entrance for the 900 school pupils will be on Shirley High Street.

 

City planners say there will be no accommodation made for car drop-offs or more teacher parking spaces.

They say they want to encourage pupils to walk or cycle to school.

Plans include moving the bus stop from its current location, and including a cycling route along the front of the school, as well as putting in a pelican crossing.

And bosses say the eight acre green space behind the school will still be open to the public.

Co chair of local action group Friends of the Field and former Freemantle ward councillor Jeremy Moulton said: "The school has to go ahead. As to which option comes down to the practicalities. I would like to keep the original building from an architectural point of view.

"There's no reason why children can't commute on foot or by bike. The road is very busy and it's narrowed over the years. It will be controversial but there isn't room for car parking.

"Are they intending to use any of the field for any of the logistics while it's being built? The primary school will still have to be in use."

Speaking to the Daily Echo project manager Colin Floyd said parents and teachers will not be encouraged to drive to the new school.

He said: "Our priority is not to provide car parking spaces but to provide education. "As a city we have to be tolerant of the fact that people have got to get their children to school. It's about understanding that's the problem we have.

"We are not encouraging people to drive to school.

 

"We are in discussions with highways to make it better for drop off and pick up.

"We are in discussions with Friends of the Field and we are really interested in not only the school being for pupils but giving options for the community to really use it as a community school."

City education capital programme manager Paul Atkins added: "Most of the children will probably come from Shirley and Freemantle although there will be a number from across the city."

St Mark's Primary School head teacher said her preference would be to knock down the Victorian building due to the cost of maintenance and upkeep.

She said: "It's a continuous battle. It costs too much to heat because of the high ceilings. We've lowered some of the ceilings but it costs £7,000 a time."