Pledge on schools shake-up

Parents, teachers and children in Dudley have been promised a "fair, frank and vigorous" consultation into £200 million plans for a shake-up of secondary schools in the borough.

The masterplan to net funding from the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative was put before Dudley Council's ruling Tory cabinet last night. Soon, the public will get the chance to have their say about plans to close Pensnett School of Technology in Tiled House Lane, Pensnett.

Holly Hall Maths and Computing College, in Scotts Green Close, Dudley, and The Crestwood School, in Bromley Lane, Kingswinford, would be transformed and opened as flagship academy schools for the borough under the scheme.

Concerns were expressed at the meeting by Labour's shadow education cabinet member, Councillor Gaye Partridge, about whether people would get the chance to have a proper say.

There has been criticism of the local authority in previous campaigns to close Cradley High School and Beauty Bank Primary School in Stourbridge.

But Councillor Liz Walker, cabinet member for education, said: "The consultation will be full, frank and vigorous, and I can't say or do any more than that.

"Some of our stock is, quite frankly, not up to an acceptable level, and this money will allow us to transform every secondary school in the borough, with the exception of Summerhill.

"It will allow us to offer children an imaginative and exciting setting for their education, and that has to be good news for Dudley."

The shake-up will also include revamps at other dilapidated schools including Castle High, Coseley, Ridgewood, Pedmore and Leasowes secondary schools.

Hillcrest School in Netherton will be expanded to cope with an extra 30 pupils per year group.