Plans for £37m new High School to be put to public

The first of two question-and-answer sessions on the 37m new Bexhill High School project will be held on Wednesday, March 5.

The first public presentation on plans for the new school was given to a breakfast meeting of Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism on St Valentine's Day by school principal Mike Conn and county council project manager Matt Eades.

Mr Conn said he had been "dancing for joy" in the streets of Birmingham when he learned that the High had been picked for a 33m government grant under the One School Pathfinder programme.

East Sussex County Council is contributing 3m to the 1,650-place new school on the Gunters Lane site to replace the 70 year-old Down campus.

The project also includes the creation of a 300-place Skills Centre on the Down Road site to offer apprenticeship training in catering, construction and engineering.

Explaining the radical new approach to learning that would be offered, Mr Conn said the present education system nationally reached only 50% of its "target" - the students.

He asked the traders: "Could you do that in your business?

"Most of you in this room are from the 50% who succeeded. I have numbers of parents in my school from the other 50% who really don't share the passion for education that we have and remember the education they had in their school - which they didn't like.

"So what do we do about that? We have to think back again. We have to change our position."

What was the use of a splendid library if the pupils were not reading the books?

"We have to adapt. We have to target our audience like you do with your businesses."

Mr Conn illustrated his point by recalling the saying: "If you always do what you have always done you will get what you have always got."

The scheme is on a tight schedule.

Public consultation meetings will be on March 5 and 25. A planning application will go in during the Spring. Work is due to start in the autumn. A two-year building programme will following with the new school due to open in September 20210.

With the aid of screen images, the project manager showed chamber members the ideas county planners and contractors Keir Longley are producing for the Gunters Lane site originally scheduled for the abortive tennis centre.

The key element will be two floors of "learning" zones '“ Key Stages Three on the ground floor and KS4 on the first floor.

Each learning zone would have its own toilets for staff and pupils. The building would feature underfloor heating and an all-weather sports pitch would be created on the site.

The principal said some elements of the new school would be controversial.

"Parents like homework. They equate it with a good school. The school day will be 8.30am to 5pm. There will be NO homework. They will do their work in their place of work and will be supported in it '“ not half-way through watching Neighbours with a sausage sandwich on their lap..."