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Inner-city exodus hits school places

29/ 1/2001

PRIMARY schools across Salford are to be closed because of thousands of surplus places caused by residents moving out of the city.

Education bosses are now asking school governors what they think should be done and will announce their plans later this year.

Town hall chiefs say there are now nearly 3,500 surplus places in the city's primary schools, and this number is likely to rise to 4,000 over the next five years - 18 per cent of Salford's capacity. The City Council will be forced to get rid of at least 2,400 places to reach the target of eight per cent surplus places.

The population shift away from inner-city Salford is being blamed for the extra places. The highest numbers are in Kersal, which has 451 unfilled spaces, 29 per cent of the area's capacity; Little Hulton, which has 392 or 20 per cent of its capacity; and Weaste and Seedley which has 206 or 31 per cent of its capacity.

However, Worsley and Boothstown have just 12 surplus places.

The council's education chiefs have now launched a consultation document which will be shown to school governors throughout the spring term, before making a decision and announcing what they plan to do this autumn.

Education boss Cllr Keith Mann said: "The aim is reducing about 3,500 primary school places in the city, to ensure the funding that's available is redirected towards pupils rather than buildings.

"It's important that's understood from the outset. Surplus buildings mean money that would otherwise be directed towards helping children achieve their very best will not be available and we need to do something about that.

"The consultation is genuine. There's no list in anyone's drawer showing which schools will be open and which will not. It will be done very sensitively and we'll have regard for the council's regeneration policies."