CAMPAIGNERS hoping to set up a “free school” for secondary education in Crowland say it could be up and running in 2014.
Members of the Education4Crowland steering group say their plans are progressing quickly behind the scenes and they are now focused on securing a site.
Chairman Glyn Mayley says talks are ongoing with Lincolnshire County Council over the possible use of the South View Primary School site on Reform Street.
The site could be empty if the primary school moves into the former St Guthlac School site, which is now the University Academy Holbeach Crowland Campus.
He said: “We have been working really hard to get it open in 2013. I see 2014 as an opportunity rather than a spanner in the works. Once that site becomes surplus to the county council’s requirements I will be registering an interest with Building Schools for the Future which is overseeing various sites.”
Mr Mayley says the education plan and ethos for the school have already been set and it is hoped it will have an intake of two forms of year seven pupils when it opens.
Pupils will follow the English Baccalaureate measure, which recognises a C grade or better across English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language.
Mr Mayley explained: “It’s all about aspiration and why should local children not get a really good education. The aspiration target is 100 per cent A*-C grades at GCSE.”
Mr Mayley hopes the steering group will be able to procure a school provider to run the school on a day- to-day basis if its application for Government funding is success.
The application, which would result in the group becoming an educational trust, is expected to be made this time next year.
Paul Holmes, the county council’s head of technology and property management, said: “The governors of South View have been asked to look at the former St Guthlac School with a view to transferring the primary school on to this much bigger and better site, at the earliest in the summer of 2014.
“Clearly there will need to be changes to the buildings to make them fit for use as a primary school and the governors and the county council will be planning this over the coming months as well as identifying the necessary capital funds to make this all happen.
“Crowland Parish Council is also part of the planning for the former St Guthlac site, along with the other existing users of the site, to ensure that the appropriate community facilities are available on the site.”
Mr Holmes confirmed any site that becomes available will go through the council’s “usual processes” if it is declared surplus to requirements.