Bushey Academy head unveils vision for new primary school

A new primary school proposed by Bushey Academy would have a “big focus” on teaching foreign languages, according to the academy’s principal. Bushey Academy first unveiled plans for a new two form entry primary school in December, with proposals indicating that it could be opened in September 2015. The London Road School opened its doors four times in early February, inviting parents and children to hear more about the plans. These include the refurbishment of Cloister Hall, which would be transformed into a tailor-made hall for the new school. Bushey Academy Primary would be sited next to the hall on what is currently a playground, with the intention to run a path to the bottom of the field to Grange Road- giving parents another entrance to drop off or pick up children. With evidence of interest from local parents Bushey Academy will make an application to the Department for Education for funding. Subject to planning permission this would then allow more detailed plans to be put in place, and for contractors to bid for work. On the primary school’s curriculum, Bushey Academy principal Andrew Hemmings revealed to My Bushey News that there would be a “big focus” on modern languages. He said: “If you are teaching someone French, Spanish and Mandarin from the age of five until 18 you will have students who are highly qualified linguists able to communicate around the globe. One solution (to a lack of multi-lingual Brits) is to have specialist language teachers who can teach students as they arrive in school. “Languages are a big focus of what we are doing but it will be a fully rounded curriculum,” he added. “It will reflect the needs of the students. If have the same process with science education and develop an ethos at primary level, as we do at secondary level, and run that all the way through the strengths will be enormous.” Mr Hemmings issued his optimism that proposals for Bushey Academy Primary will be successful. He said: “We have every reason to be confident about it, we believe we have got a strong bid for a primary school. It is really exciting that we could have students from the start of their school career and teach them well all the way through until they finish secondary school education.” He added: “As a parent you would send your child to school at the age of five and would get to know the school, the teachers, the systems, the structures, the channels of communication. It wouldn’t change from the age of five to 18. The strength of relationship between school and parent at that point would be enormous.”