New secondary school for Reigate, Redhill and Merstham needs public support‏

Parents in Reigate and Banstead who have children going to secondary school in the next few years are being urged to give their backing to proposals by GLF Schools to open a new school in the borough.

Local primaries in the borough have already had to create additional capacity to deal with current numbers of pupils, so it is clear that the secondary school system will also have to be ready to accommodate those students in the coming years. That is why the Surrey-based academy group hopes to be given approval to open a new co-educational secondary school for children aged 11 to 16 in 2017.

GLF Schools is a multi-academy trust created in 2012 when Glyn School and Danetree Junior School formalised their partnership which began in 2010. Subsequently, GLF Schools has grown steadily and now includes 12 primary and secondary schools across Surrey and Berkshire, with plans for more schools to join, including Salfords Primary School in July 2015.

GLF Schools is experienced in setting up schools from scratch having opened two brand new primary schools in 2013, one in 2014 and a new primary school to be opened in Croydon in September 2015. GLF Schools is fully aware of the pressures for families’ school entry issues in Reigate and Banstead, having opened Lime Tree Primary School in conjunction with Surrey County Council in September 2013.

Lime Tree Primary is currently located at Alexander Road in Reigate, until its new purpose-built facilities on Battlebridge Lane in Merstham are completed by the end of this year. The working name of the new secondary school is Lime Tree High School to show that the new
school would be working alongside the GLF school in the area.

"GLF Schools’ structure means that each school has its own headteacher, governing body and control of its finances. Decisions are made by each school for each school whilst enjoying being part of a wider organisation,” Jon Chaloner, the Executive Headteacher of GLF Schools, said.

"This allows each school, from the most long-established to the newest, to learn from one another’s experiences and share ideas, whilst also running themselves and organising their children’s learning in the way most suited to their location and community needs.

"The process of applying to set up a new school via the government’s Free School programme means that the location would not be finalised until the bid is approved, but should our proposals be successful Lime Tree High School would, ideally, be located in an area equally accessible from Merstham, Redhill and Reigate.

"Secondary and special school headteachers in the area and officers at Surrey County Council have given their support to GLF’s proposals, but in order for the application to be successful we are now launching our plans to the wider public in order to prove that future local parents would support the introduction of a new secondary school in the area.

“Parents, especially but not exclusively, of children in Year 4 (2017 entry) and Year 3 (2018 entry) who are interested in the proposal and any other members of the community seeking further information are invited to visit www.limetreehighschool.org where they can register their interest and contact the GLF Schools team."