The New Addington Community victory over Croydon Council is a great step on the road to renewing our community and strengthening the education provision in our town.

The council propose to make the school a 'London Challenge Trust School' this will enable the school to build on its achievements so far, without the need to replace the entire school management with a new broom 'Academy'.

A risk remains that what the Council is actually doing is leaving Addington High to 'wither on the vine' by putting all of their efforts into a new Academy in Selsdon.

Labour is committed to strengthening Addington High and building on its already excellent links with local primary schools.The Secretary of State for Schools has launched a new breed of 'Trust' School that build on these community links by forging a 'Co-operative School Trust' that works with the community and local primary schools to be the very heart of the community and to encourage mutual working for the benefit of the whole New Addington & Fieldway community. We believe that this could give the School a route to long term success and embed a culture of learning, entrepreneurship and co-operation in the wider area.

We are calling on Croydon Council to put New Addington First in supporting Addington High to continue as a full High School.