A CONSULTATION on plans to merge two Coventry secondary schools has been extended by the Department of Education (DfE).
Proposals to close all-boys school Woodlands Academy and merge it it with neighboring all-girls school Tile Hill Wood – creating the new co-ed West Coventry Academy – have been taken back to the drawing board.
In a joint letter from Tile Hill Wood headteacher Gina O’Connor and chair of governors Roger Moore released last Friday (April 22), it was announced that the consultation period – which had originally ended on April 12 – had been extended by the DfE.
The new consultation period will now run until 5pm on Friday, May 13.
There will also be a series of additional public meetings and face-to-face consultation meetings between parents and Ms O’Connor and Mr Moore.
The extension to the consultation period follows statements from both Woodlands Academy and Tile Hill Wood school issued the week before, on April 15, confirming the unchanged plans to amalgamate the two single-sex schools into one co-educational academy despite vocal opposition from parents and students during the original consultation.
The current plans could see boys joining the girls in classrooms from as early as September, with some mooted proposals suggesting year 11 boys could remain at Woodlands until the following year while they complete their GCSE exams.
Public meetings will be held at 7pm on May 5 at Woodlands School, and at 7pm on May 6 and 10am on May 7 at Tile Hill Wood School.
Attendance at each meeting is restricted to 200 due to health and safety requirements.
Face-to-face consultation meetings will take place on May 3 and 4, and May 9 to 13 between 9am and 5pm.
Email [email protected] to book an appointment for a face-to-face meeting or to register attendance at one of the public meetings.
