Have your say on Alice Ingham Primary School proposals

Date published: 14/03/2006

Parents, pupils, staff and governors will have their say on the next round of changes to tackle the surplus of school places in Rochdale borough.

A proposal is being put forward to close Alice Ingham Roman Catholic Primary School in Rochdale following consultation between the Council and officers from the Salford Roman Catholic Diocese.

Head of Schools Service, Sue Brown said, "The measures are part of an ongoing programme to reduce surplus places. As numbers of pupils have fallen across the borough we have had 12% of primary places vacant. We are working to reduce this to around 6%. Keeping surplus places is a waste of resources, which can be invested elsewhere in schools."

Subject to approval from the Cabinet on Monday (20 March), parents, staff and governors will be consulted on the proposal. The final decision on closures and amalgamations rests with the independent School Organisation Committee.

Discussion has been taking place with the Salford RC Diocese in order to find solutions to the issue of surplus capacity in the Roman Catholic sector.

At this stage closure is only a recommendation. If the Cabinet agrees that we should proceed, we will meet with parents, staff and governors from the school to discuss the implications and to listen to their views. Only after considering the outcome of that consultation would any formal proposals be put forward.”

If the proposal is accepted, Rochdale Council hopes to put the changes in place in time for the new term in September 2008.