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Susan Emmott
Susan Emmott

Give us our school places!

Posted By: Susan Emmott
Date Posted: 17/11/2007

Along with the vast majority of people in Heywood, I am utterly appalled at the recent edict by the Lib-Dem run Rochdale Council to rob 30 places per year from the new Holy Family RC/CE Joint Faith High School in Heywood.

I have a very long memory and I can well remember how the Lib-Dems advertised themselves in North Heywood Ward in 2007 and 2006 in order to win two council seats. It was all about “Our Peter” and “Our Doreen” standing up for Heywood, bringing “Home Rule” and “Independence” for Heywood. Nice words indeed, but just spin and empty rhetoric. Heywood people are now seeing the reality of Lib-Dem rule from Rochdale as they sabotage our new joint RC/CE high school.

Their arguments for not allowing more places are spurious indeed. They say that there is no demand for the places – poppycock! They say that the population of Heywood is not large enough to warrant extra places at the new school, despite the fact that Holy Family is already over-subscribed. Before the 2004 ward boundary changes, my former ward of Heywood South was one of the fastest growing wards in the borough. In the twenty years from my first election in 1984, there were lots of new housing developments in the ward: Wicken Bank, Lynam Chase, Heritage Estate, Holly Oak Gardens, Plum Mill, Maunder’s Estate. At my first election in 1984 the electorate of Heywood South stood at 7,300, by 2004 it was almost 8,500 – a huge growth.

Our new joint faith high school is a landmark achievement and we want to see it develop into a top class school that is open to all Heywood children regardless of their background or faith. It seems the Lib-Dems are deliberately under investing in the new school to try and make it falter at the first hurdle. Thankfully, this will not happen due to the dedication of staff and governors at the new school, but it riles Heywood people that once again Heywood is losing out to Rochdale, despite all the glib promises of “Home Rule” and “Independence”.

The Lib-Dems can rest assured that we will not be letting them get away with short changing Heywood and denying local families the chance to send their children to Holy Family. We will fight these draconian plans right down to the wire in order to protect and safeguard our children’s education.

You have been warned!

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