Oasis proposes secondary ‘free school’ in Waterloo

Consultation events will be held on 10 January and 16 January to build support for the proposal which will require approval from the Department for Education.

Further details of the proposed Oasis Community School Waterloo, which would have four forms of entry, will be announced soon.

Oasis, the network of charities founded by Baptist minister Steve Chalke, is playing an increasingly prominent role in the Waterloo community.

In addition to its activities based at the Oasis Centre and Oasis Church Waterloo, the organisation recently became the sponsor of the area's only primary school which is now known as Johanna Primary, Oasis Academy Waterloo.

Last month Oasis announced that it intends to redevelop its complex of buildings at the corner of Westminster Bridge Road and Kennington Road.

Oasis believes that there is a real need for a local secondary school: last year Johanna pupils went on to 13 different secondary schools. There is only one secondary school (London Nautical) on the Lambeth side of SE1 and that is a boys-only school.

A primary free school is due to open elsewhere in SE1 in September 2012. The Compass Schools Trust is also planning a secondary free school in the Bermondsey area.