Hampshire County Council is recommending the relocation of a major Fareham school with more than 800 pupils to a new school site in Whiteley - and a decision could be made sooner than previously expected.
The council will consider a recommendation to move The Henry Cort Community College in Fareham to a new school site in Whiteley from September 2027.
Initially planned for June, the decision has been brought forward to April 22, to provide the school community with a clearer picture of the future.
The council's advice to move the school comes in response to the significant development of the Whiteley area.
So far, 2,000 homes have been built, with another 3,500 planned to the north of the existing settlement.
A new secondary school in North Whiteley is part of the plan to meet the expected demand for school places across the Whiteley area.
Subject to planning approval, the new school would initially accommodate 900 pupils, with the potential to expand to 1,200 if required.
If planning consent is approved, the new school would be fully funded by developer contributions and the Department for Education.
The council have said Henry Cort currently takes pupils from across Whiteley and as more Whiteley families are likely to send their children to the new school from September 2027, Henry Cort would see a decrease in pupil numbers.
It claims this would result in reduced government funding for the school, as funding is allocated on a per-pupil basis.
READ MORE: Crash hailed a miracle after drivers walk away uninjured
The reduction could lead to a smaller curriculum, staffing issues, impacts on children’s educational outcomes, significant financial challenges, and ultimately, an unviable future for the school.
HCC sought the public’s views last year on potential options to ease these impacts on Henry Cort.
But the plans have proved controversial with parents and councillors.
Councillor Joanne Burton, who represents Sarisbury and Whiteley on Fareham Borough Council, said: “If the Henry Cort transfer option is agreed there will be even more children bussed from Fareham to Whiteley than are currently bussed from Whiteley to Fareham.
“I will continue to press for the Henry Cort name not to find its way into Whiteley."
The Local Authority’s Children and Young People Select Committee will now meet on April 22 to pre-scrutinise the recommendations.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here