New £21m plans for high school (From St Helens Star)

New £21m plans for high school

1:00pm Thursday 22nd March 2007

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A NEW vision to rebuild Cowley Language College on a nearby site with £21-million funding has been revealed.

The proposals - which have altered vastly from initial blueprints to develop the secondary school - are to rebuild Cowley on nearby sites of the former Windlehurst and Hurst schools.

A new sixth form centre would be constructed on the current Hard Lane site.

Changes in the plans follow the local authority's successful bid for £150-million to rebuild and remodel high schools across St Helens over the next decade.

Before the money was secured, the plan was to confine a £15-million Cowley rebuild to the existing Hard Lane site.

But after an overall development pot was boosted by the vast millions, council chiefs have drawn up a fresh strategy.

And now St Helens Council's Executive has given the go ahead to use part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funding to rebuild Cowley.

In a statement, Councillor Shirley Evans, Executive Member for Children and Young People's Services, said: "There are a significant number of benefits to pursuing this option mainly involving the provision of a flagship school that meets high ambitions and standards and a sixth form offering independence from the main campus site.

"It also means that there will be minimal disruption to students while the new build is going on away from the current site.

"It will also meet our ambitious targets of providing more community use as part of the extended schools agenda."

The proposals are subject to approval from the Department for Education and Skills and the Partnership for Schools which is responsible for delivering the BSF programme.

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