SCHOOLS CLOSURES CANCELLED IN WEST BLETCHLEY According to a recent report circulated for comment by Milton Keynes Council, there are eight primary schools and one secondary school in Bletchley with more than 25% surplus places. It projects that by September 2004 there will be about 1150 surplus primary places and about 600 surplus secondary places in the area. From September 2001, the Chestnuts School has been fully located on one site, removing the 240 places at Castles school.

Among the Council proposals to address the surplus he following changes in West Bletchley Schools have been rejected or maybe just postponed:-

1/    Changing the defined areas in the West Bletchley area served by Abbeys Combined School, Cold Harbour Church of England School and Wellsmead School replacing them with a two combined schools on the Cold Harbour and Wellsmead sites. The closure proposal for Abbey school has now been rejected following  a vehement protest from parents.

2/    A proposal to amalgamate Rivers First and Rickley Middle schools has now also been shelved.

It is also proposed to change the South Emerson Valley and Furzton defined areas to feed into the West Flank so that there would be no need to extend Lord Grey School. Lord Grey, however, is a 'Foundation School' and can set its own entry criteria.

It is rumoured that a number of local schools are considering Foundation School status.

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