LYNCH HILL: An alternative to 'under performing' schools says headteacher

Greater choice for parents and more than 1,000 extra school places are among the benefits of the proposed Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy in Burnham according to its executive headteacher.

The proposed school in greenbelt land in Farnham Lane has been opposed by residents and Burnham Parish Council.

Gillian Coffey OBE - who is also executive headteacher of Lynch Hill School Primary Academy in Garrard Road, Britwell - said the new free school would offer an alternative for people in Slough and South Bucks.

"Slough is short of school places and that will hit South Bucks in time," she said.

"If you look at the offer that's available currently there's not a great deal of good schools in the South Bucks area.

"A lot are underperforming.

"If [children] don't go to a grammar school there are not good choices."

She added that several state-funded secondary schools including Burnham Park Academy are not in a strong position.

The school, in Opendale Road, argued this was not the case after receiving its first Ofsted report.

The former Burnham Upper School was placed in special measures by inspectors before closing and re-opening as an academy in 2012.

It's grading from February was 'requires improvement' though its leadership was rated 'good'.

"We're in a really strong position following the Ofsted report," said Burnham Park Academy's director of business, Irene Warnock.

"They said they had a really strong belief in the leadership at the school and the plans for the future."

Mrs Coffey added Lynch Hill would offer a specialised curriculum focusing on science, technology, English and maths to make students 'employable for the 21st Century'.

She also said she was not unsympathetic to campaigners concerns about development in the greenbelt, but they should recognise what good would be brought to the community.