Bishop backing Radclyffe site
Date published: 15 October 2008
OLDHAM’S new £30 million Catholic high school will be built in Chadderton.
The Bishop of Salford has chosen the former Radclyffe lower school site in Broadway, but admits that access will be harder for people from less affluent areas of the borough.
The Rt Rev Terence Brain also says there is a risk that some parents may not send their children there.
The new school — a merger between Our Lady’s, Royton, and St Augustine’s, Werneth — is part of Oldham’s £230 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) proposals to transform secondary education.
In a letter to parents, carers, staff and governors the bishop writes: “Wherever a new RC high school is sited it is going to be more or less convenient for some parishes than others.
“Of the available sites none would be where I would want to start, but I have decided, after consultation, that it is not an option to withdraw altogether from the BSF programme.
“Our children deserve the same educational facilities that will be available to all the others.”
The bishop had wanted a location that was easily accessible to all parts of the borough. However, his original choice of the Meridian Business Centre next to Oldham Way was scrapped by Oldham Council last month.
His decision on an alternative site had been expected for almost two weeks by the council which has to submit its BSF outline business case to the Government by the end of January, 2009.
The bishop’s letter states that no other available, central sites are suitable and outlines the choice of Radclyffe: “It provides us with a neutral site for our single high school.
“It will be funded through the BSF programme without any cost to the Catholic parishes. This answers three of the criteria I set at the beginning of negotiations.
“Regrettably, it doesn’t answer easy accessibility for all parishes (and I recognise that it is some of the less affluent areas in the borough that are being asked more of).
“There is a risk that the new school may not win those parents who presently send their children outside the borough for their Catholic secondary education, or those who chose not to use Catholic secondary schools.
“However, overall, the Radclyffe site will be able to provide a state-of-the-art secondary school.
How we use this school is the responsibility of Oldham’s Catholic community. I am confident that we have the energy and the maturity so that, together, we make it an outstanding school.”
Phil Woolas MP, whose Oldham East constituents will be most distant from the new site, said: “Facts are very stubborn things and I don’t envy the bishop his decision.
“It was not my first choice, but I made it clear I would back the partners’ decision and we have got to get on with this.”
Councillor Kay Knox, cabinet member for children, young people and families, is unhappy with comments in the letter and said: “We are disappointed with the bishop’s letter.
“They never consulted us on the content and it’s factually incorrect.”
