Plans for independent faith school in Broadfield

Broadfield Mosque has applied for permission to open an independent faith school in Broadwood Rise.
Broadfield MosqueBroadfield Mosque
Broadfield Mosque

If approved, the primary school - a free school - will be built adjacent to the mosque and will cater for 180 children, aged 4-11 and 27 teaching staff.

The application also includes early years/nursery provision, a cafe and retail unit with basement/undercroft parking.

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The Planning, Design and Access Statement submitted with the application to Crawley Borough Council by Inspire Planning Solutions on behalf of the mosque, said the part single and part two storey school would be set up under the government's free school agenda, which enables parents, teachers, charities and businesses to start their own schools.

The statement added: "In addition to diversifying the local primary education offer through the introduction of a faith primary, the additional school places created would make a valued contribution towards much-needed additional school places in the locality."

All applications to set up a free school must be approved by the Secretary of State for Education - and Crawley has had mixed fortunes with them in the past.

In December 2013, Discovery New School - one of the country's first free schools - was ordered to close, two years after opening.

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But The Gatwick School, which opened in 2014, was rated 'good' in all areas by Ofsted last year.

The Broadfield Mosque application - CR/2018/0064/FUL - can be viewed at www.crawley.gov.uk . The deadline for comments is May 16.

A decision is expected to be made by July 20.