£50,000 cohesion post at academy

THE academy which will replace Grange School is advertising for a £50,000 community cohesion co-ordinator.

The successful candidate will receive £40,000 to £50,000 pro rata, with an initial three-month contract, for “strengthening links with the community served by the new academy”.

Edutrust Academies Charitable trust will run the new school which opens next September.

It will initially stay on the current Grange site in Rochdale Road before moving into a new building in Royton two years later.

The academy is part of the £266 million Building Schools for the Future programme. One of its original aims was to improve community cohesion.

Nearly all Grange pupils are from Bangladeshi families and Stuart Paulley, from Oldham Campaign Against Academies, said: “OCAA is pleased that the Grange Academy is taking the cultural cohesion issue seriously.

“However, it would save money if the school were run by the local authority as this expertise already exists.

“We hope that the money for this post is coming from Edutrust’s funds and not from the Government’s education budget.

“The secrecy surrounding academies’ financial activities makes it impossible to find out just where the money will come from — just one example of academies’ being totally outside local accountability.”

However, an Edutrust spokesman said: “Our academy will be fully accountable — to parents, pupils, staff and through our governors. This post reflects our commitment to the community and we work hand-in-hand with the local authority.”