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Primaries to shut in £130M revolution

Kathryn Ryan
3/ 7/2008

NEW plans to close four primary schools over the next five years as part of a £130m shake-up have been revealed this week.

Although Salford City Council has refused to confirm which schools will be closed under the Primary Strategy for Change proposals, a report from the Children’s Services Department appears to indicate those involved are: St Boniface RC Primary, in Lower Broughton, St Sebastian’s RC Primary, in Charlestown, and Peel Hall and Hilton Lane primaries in Little Hulton.

Despite concern over closures council bosses insist more than half of the city’s 84 primary schools will benefit from the plans which will bring substantial investment and improvements to buildings.

St Boniface, in Yew Street, and St Sebastian’s RC Primary School, in Douglas Green, would be amalgamated on another site, while Peel Hall, in Greencourt Drive, and Hilton Lane, in Madamswood Road, will be replaced with a new school built on the Longshaw Drive site of Harrop Fold High School, which is being replaced with a new building on its Hilton Lane site in September.

Along with these four, which will be shut between 2011 and 2013, another 12 primaries are set for closure.

Also earmarked for closure between 2011 and 2013 are Christ Church CE Primary, in Nelson Street, Patricroft and Lewis Street Primary, in Lewis Street, Patricroft, which would merge on one of the current school sites.

As part of the same proposals 10 schools have already been approved for closure between 2009 and 2011 with four new ones built as replacements.

In Little Hulton St Edmund’s RC, in Bridgewater Street, St Joseph’s RC, in Old Lane, and Our Lady of Lancashire Martyrs RC, in Wicheaves Crescent, will be amalgamated into one school on the site of St Edmund’s.

The school will be complete by 2008, but the external areas won’t be finished until 2009.

Langworthy Road Primary, in Langworthy Road, Langworthy, Seedley Primary, in Liverpool Street, Seedley, and Tootal Drive Primary, in Tootal Drive, Weaste, will also be merged into one new school in Glendinning Street, Seedley.

North Grecian Street Primary, in Grecian Street North, Lower Broughton, and Charlestown Primary, in Lissadel Street, Charlestown, will be replaced with a new one on the former Wheaters Crescent housing estate site in Lower Broughton.

St James’ RC, in Colwyn Street, Pendleton, and All Soul’s RC, in Kintyre Avenue, Weaste, will be closed and amalgamated on the Langworthy Road Primary site.

The plans also include the refurbishment of St Joseph’s RC, in St Joseph’s Drive, Ordsall.

Headteacher Margaret Ambrose said: "We’re absolutely delighted, it’s extremely good news - we’ve been hoping for a major refurbishment.

"Everything a big school can do we can do as a small school but we’re in a poor building and we desperately need refurbishment."

The plans, which are similar to the Building Schools for the Future proposals for the city’s high schools, also include the provision of kitchen facilities for schools without them and new IT facilities.

This is just the first stage of the proposals, aimed at upgrading poor buildings and tackling surplus places.

The plans will now be submitted to the government in a bid for £46m of funding with the rest of the money coming from other sources and capital receipts.

If funding is granted in September then discussions about the specifics for individual schools would take place before a formal consultation in early 2009.

Councillor John Warmisham, lead member for children and young people, said: "Better buildings and facilities are better places to learn and teach and are pieces of the jigsaw which helps improve opportunities and life chances for the city’s young people.

"The vision here is for state-of-the-art schools at the heart of their community where our young people get the best start in life they can.

"To have a chance at releasing this money our plans have got to be bold and be a catalyst for addressing a number of issues.

"These range from deprivation and pupil attainment to how we meet the schooling needs of the city’s changing population and how the community can get the best use out of these improved facilities."