Urgent need for more primary school places

Schools, Township committees and Diocesan authorities are to be consulted about the urgent need for more primary school places in the borough.

The Council says that a rapidly rising birth rate is putting intense pressure on places and that the number of reception class places will need to be increased from September 2011.

However, some Councillors say that the problem needs to be addressed more urgently with more places needed from September 2010 to meet local pressures in different parts of the borough.

Councillor Terry Linden says that the pressures in Middleton are so intense because the Council has taken away 200 primary school places over the last seven years. Heywood has had a reduction of 105 places, Rochdale 109 and Pennines 49.

Councillor Linden said: "In September 2009 there are now two schools on Langley, Bowlee and St Mary's, who can admit only 105 children to any form of Key Stage One, a drop in seven years of 100% of places.

"After taking into consideration the fact that provision has been reduced by 100% on the Langley estate and it is in the first wave of housing regeneration areas in the Borough, closer scrutiny will show that more places have been taken out of the original three schools in Langley (St Mary's, Langley Primary and Furrow) in the last seven years than was taken out of all the other three Townships.

"In Middleton we now have a lack of places in many different forms of Key Stage 1 and parents are having to split families into different schools or move whole families to different schools to keep them together. This needs addressing now and with the lack of places in south Heywood in Key Stage 1, a radical response needs discussing now and not for 2011 onwards."

Across the borough it is expected that 152 extra places will be needed by September 2011, with 201 more in September 2012 and a further 119 in September 2013.

Middleton needs an extra 17 places next September while the other Townships should be able to postpone the addition of extra places to 2011, when Heywood will need an extra 5 places, Middleton a further 67, Rochdale 66 and Pennines 34.

Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, said: "As a parent myself, we are all concerned about education and that brothers and sisters go to the same school. When we do make a decision it is important that we do not repeat mistakes which have been made in previous discussions on school places."

Schools, Township committees and Diocesan authorities are now being asked where within each township additional reception class places should be provided for September 2011, as well as the number of these additional places.

Visit the Council's 'Consultation on reception class places' webpage below to read the consultation papers and to submit responses. The deadline for responses is 18 December 2009.

www.rochdale.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/consultations/education_-_consultations.aspx

The Council's Cabinet will take a final decision on extra schools place in Spring next year.