Rochford District Core Strategy Regulation 26 Draft

This school, with Essex Councy Council, has reviewed the draft form of your Core Strategy Preferred Options. It is obvious that Education was not a separate chapter heading within the framework and needs to be addressed in terms of:

Necessary developments in Education including Vocational Education.
The need to provide school places for the additional housing with 1000 dwellings in Rochford (4.6.22)
Employability and workforce needs (4.8)

As the pathways in education change, particularly to accomodation, vocational education and the vocational diplomas, th school must develop its facilities and resources and particularly its accessibility.

Essex County Council have indicated that whilst there is capacity within the primary schools in Rochford, this school is already accommodating more more students than is recommended by the DfES for our site area. Student numbers, including those from 1000 new homes, would indicate that we would remain oversubscribed. If we are to expand we would need to protect our playing fields and look to the area of the field to the north of the school, between our site and Brays Lane.

As you are aware we are desperate for new access to our site. The King Edmund School was built in 1962 at the end of a cul-de-sac in Vaughan Close with only 400 students and very little vehicle movement. We are now a school of 1550 students and we employ 180 staff, all of which currently access our site through Vaughan Close. We also host Rochford and Rayleigh Delivery Group and, as from this summer, the Rochford TASCC group.

Our local residential roads are grid locked in the mornings with 7 double decker buses endeavouring to disembark our students. This is a major Health and Safety concern. The very narrow Vaughan Close access is complicated by residents parking, thus causing real problems for delivery vehicles, causing them to often mount the pavements being used by students. In the afternoon, coaches can access the site through the narrow Oxford Road entrance but this can sometimes clash with visitors and sixth formers car parking.

Since the situation on site cannot be improved we need to:

Separate buses and other vehicles from pedestrians and staff traffic.
Provide access to parking areas without using the same paths as students
Provide an entrance space for access for deliveries and contractors
Provide access and parking for the increased community visits to the site.

Most of these issues could be addressed by new vehicular access from Brays Lane which would facilitate a turning circle and parking for buses, and would deliver students to the site rather than the surrounding streets. It would also provide access for deliveries but, most imporatantly, would provide access for our parents and community visitors.

Finally the Governing Body would ask you to very seriously and urgently consider the current and future needs of The King Edmund School, which is the main provider for secondary education for the children of the Rochford District residents.

The Governing Body and Management of the school would welcome a visit by members and officers of RDC to discuss the above matters.