Newport’s Burton Borough School should be completely rebuilt, like other schools in the borough, angry governors said today.

Bosses at Burton Borough believe the comprehensive school has been overlooked by Telford & Wrekin Council, when other schools have been knocked down and built again. The school has been granted £9 million from the Government’s Building Schools for the Future pot.

But recently the council revealed plans to rebuild Charlton School in Wellington on the current Blessed Robert Johnson site – and governors believe Burton Borough should receive the same treatment.

Chairman of governors Paul Broomhead said: “We are deeply outraged to see that the local authority seems to have identified additional resources and allocated them to supplement the funding available to the Charlton School in order that the school can be rebuilt rather than remodelled.

“We believe that Burton Borough is at least as deserving of consideration for a rebuild.”

A rebuild would cost about £18 million.

Councillor Paul Watling, council cabinet member for children and families, said he was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the governors’ comments.

He said the £9 million allocation was ‘generous’ and would significantly improve the buildings.

Councillor Watling added: “Our latest plans clearly demonstrate that we are still fully committed to remodelling all three secondary schools in Newport.

“The comments reportedly made by governors at Burton Borough School fail to recognise that the revised plans are part of a co-ordinated strategy to maximise the allocated resources for BSF in order to have the most impact for all our learners.”

Burton Borough was built in the 1950s. Mr Broomhead said most of the buildings were now crumbling, leaking and costly to maintain.

He added: “There are significant problems with corridors and social areas which, at busy times, more resemble a tube station at rush hour than a modern school.”

Headteacher Dave Hill said the £9 million would help to address some issues – but not transform school life for its 1,100 pupils.

He said the nine temporary classrooms would be replaced and a large amount would go towards proposed new provision for 16 to 19 year olds.
Windows would also be replaced and the school hall made bigger.