Sutton Council has been notified that the Department for Education has approved a proposal from the Harris Federation to open a new secondary school in the borough by September 2018.

The proposed site for the free school is at the former Sutton Hospital site in Belmont, which is currently owned by the council, though this remains subject to the necessary approvals.

The school will be on the site of The Institute for Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital and part of the proposed London Cancer Hub, a world-leading life-science campus specialising in cancer research, treatment, education and enterprise.

With the support of the Harris Federation, Sutton Council has been proactive in preparing a planning application for the new school in advance of this decision in order to deliver the secondary school for when it is needed.

The council has been consulting on the plans since May this year and borough residents have attended information evenings to hear about them.

Subject to planning approval, Sutton Council intends to work closely both with the Harris Federation and the Education Funding Agency to take the plans for the project forward. It is anticipated that the planning application for the new secondary school will be submitted in October and considered by the council’s Planning Committee in January 2017.

Cllr Wendy Mathys, Chair of the Children, Families and Education Committee at Sutton Council, said:

“It is fantastic news that the Government has approved the Harris Federation to run the much-needed secondary school proposed for the Sutton Hospital site. We look forward to working with the Harris Federation both in our aspiration for new and outstanding educational provision for the borough and also in the development of our exciting plans for the London Cancer Hub.

“We have been very proactive as a council in developing plans for the secondary school early. We look forward to working with the Harris Federation and the Education Funding Agency in making these exciting plans a reality.”

The Harris Federation is proposing a fully comprehensive, non-selective, 11-19 secondary school and sixth form, for up to 1,275 students (six forms of entry).

The decision to approve the school was made by the Department for Education.

The London Borough of Sutton is proposing to manage the construction of the school subject to agreement by the Education Funding Agency (the national Government body responsible for all Education Capital spending).

On the current programme the secondary school will be opened by September 2018.

The school will be able to work closely with the Institute of Cancer Research to provide and encourage new opportunities in life-science subjects at a high academic level and also technical apprenticeships and jobs for Sutton young people.

The demand for secondary school places in the borough is increasing due to the substantial expansion programme in Sutton’s primary sector due to the growing pupil population. Although a number of Sutton secondary schools have already expanded in order to serve this increasing demand, projections show that a new secondary school will be needed by September 2018.

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