Two Hackney schools will receive over �50m for new school buildings

Two schools in Hackney have received the green-light on ambitious plans, costing more than �50m, for their new school buildings.

Both Cardinal Pole Catholic School, currently based over two sites in Victoria Park Road and Kenworthy Road in Homerton and Our Lady’s Convent High School, based in Amhurst Park in Stamford Hill, will use Building Schools For The Future funding for new buildings and the council has approved plans for both sites from architects Jestico & Whiles.

Cardinal Pole, a secondary school for 11-19 year olds, will be based on one site in Morning Lane in a three-storey building, including a ‘central street’, a new sixth-form facility with ‘work-place style’ offices and a resource centre to encourage learning for post-16 year olds.

The new building for Our Lady’s Convent, a Roman Catholic voluntary aided girls’ school with a mixed sixth-form, will consist of two blocks, one three-storey and one four-storey, in a L-shape arrangement, which allows for a 40% increase in floor area and 50% in outside play areas.

The existing school building, which was in poor condition and too cramped for the school’s 750 pupils, will be demolished in two phases.

Funding of �28m and �24m has been set aside for Cardinal Pole and Our Lady’s Convent respectively and work is expected to be completed by September 2012.