School of thought

Old school buildings hit the headlines recently when English Heritage listed 16 more schools amid increasing disquiet at the number of buildings that are being demolished rather than reworked as part of the huge school rebuilding programme currently underway.  Instead of the target of 50% new build, the figure is apparently running at nearer 70%, resulting in the loss of many historic buildings.

Words Pamela Buxton

Down my way in south east London, this issue of rebuilding primary schools has been a hot topic of late. Parents at Lewisham Bridge School staged a roof-top protest as part of a long campaign last year against the demolition of their school as part of a rebuilding programme. Eventually they won, helped by the school being Grade II listed at the behest of English Heritage. The 1914 Arts and Crafts style school, was designed by WF Riley and would have been flattened by now without the local campaign to save it. The children have now returned to the site after being decanted elsewhere but the school’s long term future is still unclear.

Next on the redevelopment agenda is the Edwardian school of Gordonbrock in nearby Ladywell. Despite some protests, this is scheduled to be largely demolished with rebuilding work due to start in the spring. Demolition would be “appalling” and there is space for a much less destructive solution on the site according to the Victorian Society, which is concerned about this growing trend.
“‘We are seeing too many applications where a new school is proposed for the site of an existing Victorian or Edwardian building. Where a good school building exists there should be a presumption to refurbish rather than replace,” according to the society. “There needs to be a rethink so that the creative and sustainable re-use of historic schools is actively encouraged by BSF [Building Schools for the Future]”.
Parents of schools in this position face a hard choice. Few would deny that such buildings are usually in dire need of an overhaul – outside loos are highly unpopular for example – and they are eager for improved facilities. But does it really have to mean losing so much of the historic buildings? Some are worried that if they protest against plans, they may end up with no improvements at all rather than a better scheme. And if the projects are delayed until after the election, who knows whether the Tory government may revert to the solution of temporary prefabs that often seemed the only form of school expansion during the Thatcher government.

The argument for new build is that the old facilities aren’t fit for modern learning, with its emphasis on flexible space to suit different class sizes and learning styles. But of course it all comes down to time and money – with a will buildings that have served children pretty well for 100 years could be adapted to last much longer. But it will probably cost more and take longer, and there’s the problem. These school rebuilding programmes seem on an express track, and are in no mood to be derailed.

Capital costs are relatively easy to quantify but it’s far harder to measure the qualitative effect of a heritage school environment in pounds and pence. A new survey by English Heritage found that 83% of people want old school buildings adapted rather than demolished. Almost half thought that historic buildings were more inspiring learning environments. The listings and survey coincide with the publication of new book, England’s Schools:History,Architecture & Adaption, written by EH historian Elain Harwood.

The question of whether to demolish or rework Victorian schools is unlikely to go away. Instead, it will only become more pressing – a baby boom combined with the credit crunch has led to a big increase in primary school applications, making even more of our historic schools vulnerable to redevelopment.