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Heybrook and Lowerplace could be demolished and rebuilt
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Schools rebuild for the future
by Katie Fitzpatrick24/ 6/2008
ROCHDALE’S primary schools are in line for a multi-million-pound overhaul over the next five years.
Two schools – Heybrook and Lowerplace – could be demolished and rebuilt as part of the £23.75M scheme.
Four others – Deeplish, Kentmere, Holy Family and St John’s RC – would be partially rebuilt and refurbished. Rochdale Council is hoping to invest £10M on rebuilding Heybrook Primary School by December 2012. Lowerplace Primary School would also be rebuilt at a cost of £7M.
It is also hoped to expand Deeplish Primary School, while a £2M bid for Kentmere Primary School in Smallbridge would see at least 80 per cent of the building remodelled from September next year.
Holy Family RC Primary School in Kirkholt would receive £1.25M for an expansion, while St John’s RC Primary School would get £1.5M for refurbishment.
If the bid for government cash is successful, it is hoped to provide modern facilities, extend parental choice and put schools at the heart of the community in areas of highest deprivation.
The council’s school reorganisation manager, Andy Smart, said: "The council has been consulting and working since Christmas on a Primary Strategy for Change (PSfC) in support of a bid for additional government funding aimed at improving primary schools. Heads, governors and parents were consulted in April."
He added: "As a result, earlier this month the council submitted its final PSfC document to the government along with a list of projects the council proposes to undertake during the first four years of the programme."
The council expects to find out in September if its bid has been successful.
Mr Smart says the six schools were chosen because of ‘numerous factors’, such as the location of schools and the number of free schools meals, accessibility of the existing buildings and standards of attainment.
Elaine Hibbert, Lowerplace headteacher, said: "It would be marvellous if these plans came to fruition because the school building is coming to the end of its school life.
"This would give our pupils a much-needed building for the 21st Century. Staff are now delivering a 21st Century curriculum in an old building."
Carmel Seston, headteacher at Kentmere, said a £2M redesign based on a ‘wish list’ of pupils, parents and local residents, will help to accommodate a growing number of pupils, make better use of space and welcome more community groups.
She said: "The building was extended and re-opened in 2002, but since then the number of pupils has grown considerably and our needs have grown."
Most recent 2 of 4 user comments
is it too stupid to ask what that's got to do with anything??
26/06/2008 at 18:19
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the reason why the school has an all asian student population is that it is based in a maninly asian area. there are schools that i know of that have all white students and again its because they are close to mainly white areas.
whats the make up of the students got anything to do with replacing the school anyway.
come on people.
27/06/2008 at 10:30