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Decision time arrives for site of new school
Katie Fitzpatrick29/ 5/2007
THE location for the merged school to replace Balderstone Technology College and Springhill High School was due to be decided last night.
The powerful council cabinet committee had the task of choosing between the two sites.
Councillors on the all-Lib Dem cabinet were asked to decide whether or not to support a independent assessment that recommended the Springhill site.
The merger will take place on 1 September 2013.
In February cabinet gave the green light to the plans despite an impassioned plea from campaigners from Springhill.
Springhill's deputy headteacher John Buchanan said both Springhill and Balderstone should be retained because they are 'extremely good schools that have served the local community extremely well.'
And he said there is 'no evidence' that the £152M Building Schools for the Future programme would improve standards.
Education bosses say the aim of Building Schools for the Future is to improve secondary education in the borough by providing buildings fit for the 21st century and addressing a falling number of secondary school places.
An update to plans for rebuilding Falinge Park High School, which includes building on the tennis courts and an area of playing fields in front of the school, was also due to be looked at last night.
There is a linked proposal to replace any green space lost with alternative provision, as a restrictive covenant covers the area in question.
After cabinet consultation this proposal will be considered by the Charity Commission.
Cabinet was also to look at plans to close the Oulder Hill Community School sixth form from 31 August 2011, with the last date for admissions in September 2009 and to extend the admission number at the school from 240 to 300 for September 2011.
It is expected that the new sixth form centre for Rochdale will open in September 2010. Cabinet was also set to decide on the reduction of the number of places at St Cuthbert's RC High School from 270 to 240 from 1 September 2013.
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When I started at Oulder Hill in Year 7, the Sixth Form was a brilliant entity. Now it is a shambles, and the Senior Managers should be ashamed of it. No one is addressing the issue that we have got worse in our teaching - and the effort we put into Sixth Forms - rather than Bury and Oldham being simply better. It isn't a simple issue.
And to prove that results doesn't show improved intelligence. It's almost certain Oulder Hill will claim record results this year, yet that is almost certainly because they are starting people off on useless General Studies A Levels.
I don't think I Sixth Form will educate our pupils any better. It will only look better because we've ruined the Sixth Forms that we have at the moment. They do work, and it's not too late to stop it from happening. But I'll point the finger at Oulder Hill for just appearing not to care about the Sixth Form. And I really really am ashamed of what it has become.
Ben Robertson Norden and Bamford Youth Councillor
1/06/2007 at 12:21