Littlehampton in the running to become a 'superschool'

Littlehampton is on a short-list of two vying to become the only secondary school in West Sussex to be rebuilt in a government-funded programme.

Bognor Regis Community College is the other contender, and county council cabinet member for children and young people's services, Mark Dunn, has just two weeks left to choose between the schools.

In Littlehampton's case, the glittering prize would be to see older parts of the school, some dating back to before the Second World War, swept away, and the redevelopment based around a central core of newer buildings, to create a more compact "campus".

The two schools were singled out because they are in what the county education authority considers to be a priority area, the coastal strip.

Mr Dunn's decision appears to be on a knife-edge, as strong support for both schools to be rebuilt has come from councillors, education officials and the head teachers and governing bodies of the two schools.

The county council even went back to the Department for Education and Science (DfES) with a request for funding for both schemes, but was told there would be money only for one.

Littlehampton head teacher Jayne Wilson was "excited" to have reached the final stage. "We are keeping our fingers crossed for Littlehampton," she said.

A report to a county council committee meeting yesterday (Thursday) says Mr Dunn "is now considering a broad range of information linked to the community regeneration potential of the capital build for each school, and is also considering the wider standards issues, associated with all ages, across each area".

His final decision has to be with the DfES by December 13, but, as it could be challenged by county councillors, will have to be published by the end of this month to meet the deadline.

The rebuilding will be part of a government initiative launched in 2003, Building Schools for the Future, to transform secondary schools across the country.

West Sussex's initial funding bid, for a group of schools south of the A27, has been put towards the back of the queue, but the county is among 25 local authorities which have now been told they will receive money to rebuild one of their schools by September, 2009.