Big thumbs down to academy plans

STUART PAULLEY: “We hope the cabinet takes note"

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But majority agree education needs transforming Decision in hands of the council cabinet

PEOPLE have given the thumbs down to Oldham’s controversial academy plans.

The council has failed to win backing for its proposals to replace Breeze Hill, Counthill, Grange, Kaskenmoor and South Chadderton schools with three academies run by sponsors, according to statutory consultation.

Nearly 36,000 information packs were sent to families, staff and governors asking for their views on the school closures and academies, as well as the proposed expansion of Hathershaw School.

Opposition

But only 246 of the questionnaires were returned.

The largest opposition was at Counthill and Breeze Hill where around three quarters of people were against.

However, 63 per cent of respondents overall agreed that secondary education needed to be transformed.

And 49 per cent thought that Oldham’s £230 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) proposals to replace, rebuild or refurbish every secondary would achieve this.

::78 per cent of respondents for Breeze Hill disagreed with closure and 73 per with replacing it with an academy.

::At Counthill 73 per cent were against closure and 78 per cent against an academy.

::Just under 50 per cent at Grange opposed closure (43 per cent in favour) and 52 per cent an academy.

::At Kaskenmoor 55 per cent were against closure and 50 per cent an academy.

::59 per cent at South Chadderton opposed closure and 67 per cent an academy.

::69 per cent of Hathershaw respondents agreed with expansion.

There were 18 meetings and concerns voiced against the new academies outweighed backing.

Worries included sites, size of schools, playing fields, traffic problems, transition, a Christian academy sponsor and how they would be run.

Favour

Oldham’s draft BSF outline business case must be submitted to the Government by January 19.

The cabinet will decide on Monday whether to go ahead and all three party leaders have come out in favour.

Councillor Kay Knox, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: “All political parties in Oldham recognise that BSF is a once in a lifetime opportunity to really transform our secondary schools. No decision will ever please all parties. BSF will touch every part of the borough and every single child, so it is important that we get this right.”

However, Stuart Paulley, secretary of Oldham Campaign Against Academies, said: “Oldham does not want academies.

“The figures show that all the respondents want local schools to continue as they are.

“We hope the local authority and the cabinet will take note and tell the Government we want BSF money without the academies which we know can be done.”

Both consultation reports are on-line www.oldham.gov.uk


Catholic school backed, but not new site

PROPOSALS for a new £30 million Catholic high school have been backed by families, staff and governors.

However only 43 per cent of people who responded to consultation agreed with the location of the new school — a merger of St Augustine’s, Werneth, and Our Lady’s, Royton.

And more were in favour of closing and amalgamating St Augustine’s (58 per cent) than Our Lady’s (45 per cent) as part of Oldham’s £230 million Building Schools for the Future proposals.

The new school will be built on Broadway, Chadderton, after controversial plans to locate it next to Oldham Way were scrapped by the Bishop of Salford.

Consultation packs were sent to Catholic families, school staff and governors and 175 questionnaires were returned.

Of those, 56 per cent agreed with the proposals for a single school and 43 per cent with the choice of site.

More concerns were raised at the consultation event at Our Lady’s than at St Augustine’s.

They included travelling distance, the size of the school and forced integration.

Many people called for the school to be built at Our Lady’s and comments included “many Catholic families will choose to send their child to a non-Catholic school” and “I personally think Our Lady’s is being disbanded because of failings at St Augustine’s”