Foundation move backed

Shaw and Crompton Parish Council

A PROPOSAL for Royton and Crompton School to apply for foundation status sparked a debate among councillors.

The school says becoming a foundation will give it greater autonomy while remaining firmly within the state sector. It is consulting over the plan.

But parish councillors were split over the idea with some unsure as to what it would mean and concerned over the long-term implications.

After a lengthy debate, members decided by a majority vote to note the governors’ decision to apply for foundation status and support it in principle with some reservations.

The Blackshaw Lane school is currently a community school with Oldham Council employing the staff, owning the land and buildings and having primary responsibility for deciding admission arrangements.

As a foundation school, the land and buildings are owned by the governing body, which also employs the staff and has responsibility for admissions arrangements. The school continues to be maintained by the local authority so funding arrangements are not affected.

The school’s governors voted unanimously to consult partners over the move at a meeting last month after investigating the implications.

They have adopted three principles: that the school is for everybody with all welcome, that it is committed to public service and is a school for the whole community, and that it works to high standards for all.

The governors say the status will enable the school to continue improving and raise the achievement and attainment of pupils, while strengthening partnerships within the community.


The parish council could be on the move to the former First Choice Homes Oldham offices in Kershaw Street, Shaw.


The premises sub-committee has been tasked with finding alternative premises for the parish council’s offices and has asked the clerk to investigate the costs of moving to Kershaw Street and how much the current High Street office is worth.


Members agreed grants of £250 to Shaw Comrades Crown Green Bowling Club to use towards cable for a lighting system, and £235 to Shaw Cricket Club for general repairs and replacement of equipment.


They also approved expenditure of £235 to pay for the recent Easter Egg hunt that children enjoyed at Dunwood Park.


An excellent turnout at the parish council’s brass band concert raised £350 for the chairman’s charities and could now become an annual event.


Parish council chairman Councillor Mari Wiswell will unveil new boundary signs at Grains Bar on April 24 at the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire.


A resident has complained about the amount of potholes in the parish and has also taken up the matter with the Highways Agency.