Parents and teachers in academy protest

Protesters demonstrate in the rain against the proposed academy at Waterhead.

ANGRY protesters banged drums, sounded whistles and waved placards yesterday in a passionate demonstration against a proposed academy in Waterhead.

More than 50 local residents, teachers, parents and children lined Huddersfield Road in a noisy protest against moves to merge Breeze Hill and Counthill schools at the former Orb Mill site.

Passing motorists beeped their horns to signal their support as the protesters stood next to the place where the Oldham Council-run academy will be built. They waved placards with the message “No to academies, Save Our Schools”.

Local resident Alec Prescott, whose five-year-old grand-daughter may have to attend the academy when she reaches secondary school age, said: “Huddersfield road is a major road between Yorkshire and Oldham and it is already plagued with jams and bringing up to 2,000 children into this site will create horrendous traffic and parking problems.

“It will make it even harder for locals to get around and commute and, moreover, is very dangerous for the pupils.

“There was talk about staggering starting and finishing times for the pupils to stop the parking problem, but that will make life a lot more difficult for parents and staff, who need to work around the new times.”

Protesters are also concerned about the size of the site and have disputed council claims that the academy will be catering for just 1,500 pupils.

Mr Prescott said: “We believe the student figure will be more like 2,000 and this proposed site is not even half the area of Breeze Hill and Counthill schools together.”

Many are also concerned that the size of the site will result in the loss of valuable sports facilities.

One Breeze Hill teacher, who did not wish to be named, said: “Breeze Hill has an astro turf pitch and a swimming pool, which is not only good for students, but is also used by the local community. What will happen to those facilities when the academy is built? There’s no room for then at the new site.

“One of these schools has a strong tradition for rugby league and one is building a fierce reputation for cricket and when most of the Olympic medalists are from public schools, how else are working class children going to get a chance to excel in sport without facilities like this?”

Another local resident said: “Part of that factory used to make chemicals and another section was full of asbestos. I don’t think this site is a particularly safe place to build a school.”

Jean Coates, who lives just opposite the former Orb Mill ground in Waterworks Road, said: “When the mill was knocked down three years ago somebody lodged a planning application for housing and the council rejected it because of access problems, so how can they possibly contemplate building a school here? This road is busy 24/7 and traffic can be backed up to Mumps Bridge at busy times. This academy will only make it worse and reduce the value of houses around here.”

Others expressed concerns about the whole concept of academies, describing it as the privatisation of education.

One resident said: “We need human scale schools, not huge, remote factories.”

A teacher, said: “The concern is that sponsors don’t have to follow the curriculum and can set their own agenda.”