Press Release: Valerie Vaz Raises Closure of Sneyd School Building, and the New School in Reedswood Park

I spoke in a general debate on 19 December 2024 to ask the Minister to save taxpayer’s money to repurpose the former Sneyd Community School building and reallocate the resources to other schools that need it.

The former Sneyd Community School is a perfectly viable building which can be used as a Special Educational Needs resource in Walsall.

The school closed in 2011 and has since been used as a University Technical College which closed in 2015 and was then used as a leisure centre. It is now threatened with permanent closure, with a planning proposal to convert the area into homes.

The previous government proposed a special free school to be built in Reedswood Park, threatening the woodland. This is inappropriate development.

Schools such as Joseph Leckie have still not received their full allocation of the Building Schools for the Future fund. The canteen, kitchen, hall and changing facilities all need to be upgraded.

Joseph Leckie School offered to work with the Council to expand school places, as the greatest demand for school places is in their catchment area.

Each School year can be expanded from 240 to 300 as year 8 has been expanded, as there is a waiting list for places at the School.

I would like the Government to reallocate resources from building a new school using the money to upgrade and expand existing schools and repurpose Sneyd Community School as a SEND School for pupils in Walsall.