Frank Barnes' future secure
Date: 01/08/07
The closure of Frank Barnes School is not an option, Camden Council's Executive has promised.
Plans to consult closely with the school on five options for its future were approved at a meeting of the Executive on 28 July, 2007 and a report will be brought back to the Executive in October for a final decision.
The other options being considered for Frank Barnes are:
- The creation of a new specialist regional centre for deaf children, which would serve children from across London
- A merger of Frank Barnes School with Blanche Neville in Haringey's Muswell Hill
- A new-build, stand alone or co-located building for 35 primary aged pupils, either on the Primrose Hill Primary School site or another Camden primary school site
- A new-build, stand alone or co-located building for 35 primary aged pupils in a refurbished existing building in Camden
- A new-build unit, co-located on a primary site for eight Camden pupils
The school building, on its current site, does not adequately meet the specialist needs of the school. The building was designed by the former Greater London Council and constructed in 1977 when teaching methods at the school were different to those in use at the school now.
The school needs to be relocated to accommodate a new secondary and a new special school planned for the Adelaide Road site under the council's Building Schools for the Future proposals.
A Frank Barnes steering group – made up of council and school staff and governors - was established in the spring 2006 to investigate future possible provision for the current Frank Barnes School and children with similar needs in the future.
Cllr Andrew Mennear, Executive Member for Schools, said: "This is a real step forward for the future of Frank Barnes. We have now given a commitment for one of these options to be chosen at the 31 October executive meeting, straight closure is not down as an option. We are going to go out now and do lots more work with the school and interested stakeholders to ensure an outcome that we can all be proud of."
Cllr John Bryant, Executive Member for Children, said: "This is about finding a way forward for those parents who want to send their children to a school that teaches in British Sign Language. We want to secure the future for delivering the curriculum in this way."
Ends
Notes to editors
Camden Council is also working with the Special Education Needs North London Regional Partnership, coordinated by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which is also looking at needs and provision for deaf and hearing impaired children.
Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children is located in Harley Road, NW3.
It has 44 places for children aged 3 to 11 years, who are deaf, although there are only 35 children on the roll at present, of these three are Camden residents.
Frank Barnes offers a mainstream primary curriculum that is taught through British Sign Language.
It is a regional resource which currently attracts children from 16 boroughs and further afield.
Ref Code: 07/292
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Page last updated Aug 3, 2007 4:33 PM
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