Gearies Junior School will close and be amalgamated into Gearies Infant School, councillors agreed at last night’s cabinet meeting, with the age range of the new school to run from three years old to 11.
Gearies Infant in Gants Hill Crescent, Gants Hill, will be enlarged by incorporating the junior school site.
A consultation since November had 224 responses, with 81 per cent of people in favour of the plans.
The cabinet also agreed to allocate £691,759 in funding from the Department for Education towards two year old education and childcare programmes.
Speaking at the meeting in Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford, Cllr Alan Weinberg, the cabinet member for children’s services, said: “I’m sure we’ll all agree the earlier a child starts their education process the better.”
And the cabinet agreed to spend £500,000 replacing the boilers, heating distribution and water heating systems at Seven Kings High School in Ley Street, Ilford, and Woodbridge High School in St Barnabas Road, Woodford Green.
Cllr Weinberg joked: “In this weather, it’s a very important report.”
In 2013/14, the hot and cold water systems will be replaced at Seven Kings with the main boiler to be replaced at Woodbridge in the same period.
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