AN AMBITIOUS plan has been devised to create a new secondary school to improve opportunities for children from a deprived Chingford neighbourhood.

Parents of pupils at Chingford Hall Primary in Burnside Avenue have joined with governors to campaign for the school to be expanded to teach children until the age of 16.

Cllr Laurence Wedderburn, who is a governor at the school, is spearheading the campaign.

He believes the creation an ‘all-through’ school, which involves children staying on the same site throughout their education, will improve academic achievement and address social issues associated with poverty.

The Chingford Hall area has a high concentration of social housing, a lack of amenities and higher than average levels of crime compared to the rest of Chingford.

But Cllr Wedderburn believes high standards at the primary school, which was recently classed as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, can be transferred to a new secondary and help provide a long-term solution to social problems.

He said: “What Parent on Chingford Hall wouldn't want the knowledge that their child can attend a school where we will be hell bent on getting as many of them in further education, on good apprenticeships and even university?

“We firmly believe that we are only doing half the job with the children and we don't know what happens to them after they leave the primary school.

“They will end up travelling quite a distance to the nearest secondary school, where they will be surrounded by people who they don't recognise, and only the children with the loudest voices will get heard.

“With this proposal we can send them to the children's centre, then to primary school and from there to senior school, where we will better equipped to help them on to further education."

Kay Green, 45, of Hazel Way has a 25 year-old-son who went to Chingford Hall and a four-year-old-son, Brendan, currently at the children centre.

She said: "I find that when kids have to leave primary school and move on to secondary at the age of 11 or 12, that is when they start getting into the difficult years, when they are changing into teengers.

"It would help them so much if they could stay on in Chingford Hall, which has improved, year on year and for other kids from outside to come here as well, who can see how good it is."

The plan involves relocating a pupil referral centre adjacent to the school site to the nearby Paradox centre to make room for the extra pupils.

A request for additional funding has been submitted to Waltham Forest Council and Cllr Wedderburn has not ruled out the possibility of seeking Academy status, which would secure greater independence and extra funding.

The Guardian is awaiting a statement from the council.