PLANS to move King’s High School have been branded ‘ludicrous’ by a former student.
Joanna Powell left the Warwick-based school and sixth form last year but was horrified at plans to relocate from the town centre to a new £30 million campus next to Warwick School and Warwick Preparatory School on Myton Road.
The Warwick Independent Schools Foundation say the move – which would take three years to complete – is the way forward and will create the opportunity to share facilities with nearby schools.
But 19 year-old Joanna, who is currently studying psychology in Australia, says the plans are a waste of money and would create traffic chaos. She is so outraged she has even started a petition.
She told the Observer: “King’s High School was established in 1879 in the heart of historic Warwick and has been enjoyed by thousands of girls who have walked through the blue door. King’s has survived and been through two world wars and it should remain for many more years to come.
“King’s was my life for seven years and I can safely say they were the best years of my life. Every teaching area is fit for purpose.
“Anyone without a close link to the school seems to be mystified by what stands behind that blue door.
“But to us it’s not just a blue door, it’s the memories that lie within that building, it’s the history of the development from a small girl’s boarding school to growing into the renowned private school it is today.
“This new site supposedly brings improved facilities for the future generations of girls, but as the old saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
“Please sign the petition if you wish to save the King’s High we know and love.”
The planned move will see a new main school building, together with a shared music building and sixth form centre built as well as improvements and extension to the Bridge Sports Centre.
King’s High head Richard Nicholson said: “The school’s facilities are first class, but there are limitations to future development purely because of the nature of the site.
“We have explored several options but believe creating a new school would bring considerable benefits.
“The project gives us the opportunity to offer one-stop educational facilities for our pupils and will continue to honour our determination to provide state-of-the-art, efficient buildings which are fit for now and the future.
“Cars will be taken from the centre of the school to new parking on the perimeter of the site which will allow us to radically improve the school environment.”
The future for the existing King’s High School site remains undecided, with being developed into homes, for business use, and even a care home being considered.
Search ‘Save Kings High School Warwick’ on facebook for a link to the petition.
