Hulme nursery to close down as Grade-listed building sold off as potential new school

Hulme Grammar School. Image courtesy of Google Maps

A prestigious school in Oldham is selling off its grade-listed nursery building as it prepares to completely ‘phase out’ its Kindergarten.

Hulme Grammar School, a local independent known for its high-achieving students, will only offer placements from reception onwards from September 2025. 

The nursery ‘is no longer financially viable’ due to changes including the amount of hours of free childcare parents are entitled to, and the introduction of VAT charges for private schools, the LDRS understands.

Headteacher Kirsten Pankhurst said: “Hulme Grammar will focus on excellent, all-through provision, from Reception to Year 13.

"Whilst external factors have meant us phasing out our Caterpillars and Butterfly classes as they transition to our Reception, this has opened up exciting opportunities to work with local nursery providers to enable us to share the use of our wonderful facilities.

"For example, children are invited to our upcoming ‘Stay and Play’ sessions in our wonderful Forest School.”

A sale of the Grade II listed building on Newport Street is currently underway with an undisclosed buyer.

Hulme Grammar has secured permission for a ‘Change of Use’ ahead of the sale. 

The building was previously only used as a nursery and infant school, but can now be used as a primary and secondary school for kids aged from four to 18.

This implies the buyer intends to carry on its usage as an educational setting. 

The application included ‘no internal or external works, but rather just the reuse of the existing buildings and land for day education purposes’. 

Town planners determined that the proposal does not constitute a ‘development’ and does not require planning permission.

The council therefore granted a Lawful Development Certificate this week. 

A town planner wrote: “The proposed use of the site as a day school for primary and/or secondary age children would fall within the same use class and, therefore, would not constitute ‘development’, so does not require planning permission.”

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