New primary free school to be built in Tower Hamlets
More new free schools have been announced (Picture: David Jones/PA) - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
A new primary school set to be built in the borough.
Known as Mulberry Nursery and Primary School, it was announced by the Department for Education today in the latest wave of free schools.
Across the country, 131 new free schools have been announced.
Education secretary Justine Greening said: “We need schools that can bring out the best in every single child no matter where they’re growing up, how much their parents earn, or however different their talents are.
“That’s why these new schools are so important - they give us the school places we need for the future, and they also give parents more choices to find a great school place in their area that’s right for their child.”
But shadow education secretary Angela Rayner added: “While new school places are welcome and necessary, the Government are failing to deliver the number of places that will be needed by 2020.
“The free schools programme has been proven to be an enormously expensive and inefficient way to create school places.
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“Today’s announcement alone almost certainly comes with a huge price tag, without necessarily even providing new school places in the areas that need them most. And this is at a time when existing schools are facing a severe funding crisis.”
In addition to the new primary school, Barking and Dagenham has three free schools in the pre-opening phase.
These include the all-through Livingstone Academy East London and two secondary schools, Mulberry School for Boys and Mulberry UTC.
In addition, eight free schools have already opened in the borough, the first being Canary Wharf College’s first primary school in 2011.
A second primary school and a secondary school have followed, along with Solebay Primary, Wapping High School, the London Enterprise Academy, East London Arts and Music and City Gateway.