We are strongly in favour of the Council’s proposal to expand Woodford County High School (and Ilford County, the grammar school for boys).

This presents a really exciting opportunity to augment and to modernise facilities supporting the first class education we offer.  Planning includes the construction of a 14 lab purpose built science block as well as a new  general teaching facility.  With restrictions on the use of our listed main building, new development gives us flexibilities we currently lack.

Equally importantly, growing the population of the school is crucial to ensuring our on-going financial viability.  There are increasingly few four form entry secondary schools and the reason for this is economic.  Expansion, from September 2016, will see an incremental increase of 60 students a year, stabilising the budget (through economies of scale) and, in time, providing scope to augment the curriculum offer.

Access to grammar school places in the Borough proportionally has declined as the schools around us have expanded.  The proposals go some way towards redressing the balance.

We would like to thank those who contributed to the on-line consultation (Nov / Dec 2014) run by the London Borough of Redbridge.  Further consultations will follow as planning for the project progresses. 

We hope you are as excited about this opportunity as we are.

Ms Jo Pomeroy

Headteacher