St Barnabas School expansion

The reorganization of Oxford’s school system from three tiers to two has important implications for St Barnabas First School. At present, nine-year-olds go to St Frideswide’s, but if the plans go ahead, St. Barnabas will become a primary school, taking children for two extra years. This would involve building four new classrooms, two of which would replace existing temporary classrooms. It would also mean building on the play area behind the school – and siting the long-proposed new play area on the corner of Hart Street and Great Clarendon Street. The total number of children would go up from 180 to 240. There are notices about this on the school, and anyone who wants to object in principle to the reorganization has until mid-May to do so. The County Council will hear objections and could make a decision in June, though given that some other schools will have to be closed negotiations could be complex. If the scheme goes ahead, construction could start in the summer of 2001.