Debt school to sack seven staff

Neal Keeling

April 07, 2008

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A SCHOOL is to sack staff after plunging £600,000 into debt.

Two teachers and five classroom assistants will lose their jobs at Abbey Hey Primary in Gorton.

The debt dwarfs that of any other school in the city - the next highest is £275,000.

One source said: "It was a cracking little school. It wrestled with debt for some years but the situation has escalated."

Headteacher Gaynor Moorhouse took over in 2002 when the infant and junior schools merged.

She had previously been head of the infant school. No action is being taken by the local education authority against Mrs Moorhouse.

The school has an income of £1.1m and an expenditure of £1.7m.

Pauline Newman, head of Manchester council children's service, said the school's funding had been cut as pupil numbers fell from 499 in 2003 to 406 this year.

She said: "It is not acceptable for schools to be in this kind of debt. We have been working closely with the headteacher and governing body and have agreed a recovery plan with them to tackle this while ensuring continuity of educational provision for pupils.

"As part of the recovery plan we have been working alongside the school and trade unions with a view to reducing the number of staff at the school, while ensuring that pupils' needs continue to be fully met."

John Platt, former head of the junior school, said the budget was `generally OK' when he retired in 2001.

He said: "We did have problems with the budget from time to time and may have gone into the red, but nothing significant.

"The building itself was always a problem. A large part has a flat roof, which caused repair problems."

In 2003 an Ofsted report said the school had `teething problems' during the transition period of the merger but added that `strengths marginally outweigh weaknesses'.

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Mike S, Manchester (07/04/2008 at 09:32)

Surely they're making them redundant, rather than sacking them? The two are quite different!

Ex Bus Driver 118 118, Manchester (07/04/2008 at 10:03)

Mike that sounds rather plausable But when any 1 person screws up the budget usually more than 1 will swing for it

Melandra (07/04/2008 at 10:31)

Large outgoings - isnt it time local councillors and local people got involved in assisting, after all primary school isnt a chilcare service, if the parents of children attending helped out FREE as lunchtime assistants and teaching assistants it would soon be back in the black, its time these young people not working gave their services to schools, old peoples homes etc free of charge to earn their benefits.

the world's gone mad (07/04/2008 at 12:51)

As usual, the support staff are paying for the incompetencies of the management team.

Pippa, Manchester (07/04/2008 at 13:11)

If they're being sacked, won't they be able to claim unfair dismissal ? Surely they're being made redundant?

vera angry (07/04/2008 at 18:12)

melandra, well said!!!.

mumto1, manchester (07/04/2008 at 21:27)

Less teachers mean bigger classes, which in turn leads to a poorer education.

Poor kids they are supposed to be our future, god help us in 20 years time!

ace, manchester (08/04/2008 at 12:34)

Tell people the truth its because staff have to teach new pupils who come from other nations on a one to one basics,and now they need multi language translations due to the high rate of immigrant children comming into the school....this puts strains on the budget.

ace, manchester (08/04/2008 at 13:51)

This was a exellent both my kids went to this school.the teachers were great and it was a community type school and was always interested in its children,mr platt was a great head.I know most children in the gorton area went to this school and i dont remember any parents being dissapointed with the school or how it was run,its a shame after generations of families its come to this really a very sad situation for this once great school.

kerry docherty (09/04/2008 at 20:39)

I went to this school and my daughter now goes to this school I and everybody I know really enjoyed this school. My daughter now goes to this school and you only have to look inside at the leaking roofs to know this school is in trouble. The teachers are under pressure to teach children not only with varying learning difficulties but then the numerous different languages spoken. What use is sacking more teachers and classroom assistants without them the teachers are under even more pressure and I as a Parent dont see why my daughters education should suffer due to political blunders and Government decisions to overcrowd school with immigrants I was born here and so was my daughter hers and other English born childrens education should be primary Our childrens needs wouldnt be primary consideration in other countries

kerry docherty (09/04/2008 at 20:43)

As for parents offering to help out at lunchtime I did do this but i was informed this would take the jobs away from the paid staff which if this person actually thought about what they was saying the parents are not there to sort the mistakes out of the funding issue if you read the article you would see the expenditure is more than the income it is not a case of poor budgeting it is a case of not enough budget the school receives less income to teach approx 450 children than some footballers etc earn a year

Mark Grove, Manchester (18/06/2008 at 22:28)

Every day I pass this school and there are always 3 or 4 teachers outside the gates smoking, it certainly does not give the school a good image

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