School to put trust in Manchester City

Reporter: KAREN DOHERTY
Date online: 23 March 2010

FAILSWORTH School is set to be one of the first schools to formally link up with Manchester City FC.

The specialist sports college is one of two secondary schools in Oldham which want football clubs to help run the schools.

The move would see Failsworth — which is in prime City territory — become a trust with the Blues, Manchester Metropolitan University, The Co-operative, Oldham Sixth form College, and Oldham Council on April 1.

It would continue to be funded by Oldham Council, but would be independent of local authority control with powers similar to voluntary-aided schools such as Blue Coat and Crompton House.

The trust would own the school’s land and buildings, and appoint some of the governors.

The governing body would set admission arrangements within the law — which means they can’t select academically — and employ staff.

Radclyffe School, Chadderton, wants to set up a similar link with Oldham Athletic.

Failsworth head teacher John Meagher admitted he was a rugby rather than a football fan, but said: “Manchester City is a good link for us to have as a sports college.

“For me a key part of this is beginning to work with a number of partners to develop the school and build on the good relations we have in the community.

“The trust will be of a co-operative nature and we do share the ethos and values existing within the co-operative movement.”

Former Blues’ goalkeeper Alex Williams MBE, executive manager of City in the Community, said the club was also developing a similar link with another high school in Manchester.

He added “We have always had great links with Failsworth School and our club secretary Bernard Halford has been a school governor there for a number of years.

“We also have links with the school through our junior academy and the next step for us is to be involved at board level.”

A flagship Government education policy, trust schools aim to strengthen and formalise existing links with charities, businesses, other schools and universities to improve education.

Schools do not receive extra funding, but benefit from the time and expertise of their partners. This could range from work to encourage more pupils to go to university and college, to education initiatives which many sports clubs already run.

Failsworth and Radclyffe both moved into new school buildings in 2008 under a deal which sees private companies run and maintain the buildings.

They are currently consulting on the plans to follow in the footsteps of Hathershaw School, which has formed a trust with the Co-operative, John Moores University, NHS Oldham, Oldham Sixth form College and three primary schools.

Radclyffe would become a trust on May 1 and its other partners would be Oldham Primary Care Trust, University Campus Oldham, the sixth form college the council and the Co-operative.

Head teacher Hardial Hayer said: “It is not about finances, we are not going to get any additional money.

“The driver is for our school and our school community to take control of its own destiny and continue down the road of raising standards through partnerships.

“The expertise of these partners will help us to reach the goal we have set ourselves of becoming the best secondary school in the country.

“One of the things about trust status is to formalise these links.”