In 2010 the former Conservative Education Secretary, Michael Gove, cancelled the previous Labour Government’s scheduled rebuild of Patchway Community College. Because of the poor state of the buildings, Patchway Community College was included in the Labour Government’s flagship ‘Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme’. The Labour Government’s BSF Programme saw other schools in our area, such as The Ridings, (now Winterbourne International Academy), and Filton High School, (now Abbeywood), rebuilt in order to provide the best possible learning environment for our local children, however the plans for Patchway were scrapped following the 2010 General Election.

At the South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday 5th October it is anticipated that plans to rebuild Patchway Community College will finally be restarted.

Cllr Sam Scott, Labour Councillor for Patchway said:

“This month’s decision by the South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet to finally deliver on the aspirations of the former Labour Government is welcomed however I cannot help feel sorry for the cohorts of Patchway students and staff who have endured the aging and outdated facilities at our local secondary school. As a former Governor of Patchway Community College I understand how challenging the poor state of the buildings have been for our hardworking staff and students.

While we welcome this decision it feels misplaced to celebrate it when we remember that hundreds of local children have had to work in substandard conditions that were already long overdue for replacement over a decade ago.”

Cllr Alison Evans, Labour Lead Member for Education and Skills said:

“We could never have predicted that it would take over 10 years to finally come close to catching up with where we were more than a decade ago. As a teacher myself I understand how important it is to have an environment that is conducive to learning rather than a distraction from it. Cancelling the project to rebuild Patchway over 10 years ago has failed hundreds of local children and their teachers and, as building costs have rocketed, it is inevitable that rebuilding now will cost far more than if this project had been delivered when originally scheduled.”