A primary school is set to join forces with one of the region’s most popular secondaries.
St Barnabas Primary school in Openshaw is seeking to merge with The East Manchester Academy.
The switch to academy status will mean the primary is no longer under the control of Manchester council.
Staff and governors say the switch will give the school greater freedom over teaching and access to more classroom resources.
Under the plans, the primary would continue to operate on the same site, under the guidance of headteacher Lucy Gough.
But both schools would fall under the same governing body.
The primary school would also receive slightly more government cash – as funding currently paid directly to the local authority for specialist services would go direct to the school. The move has now been given early approval by the Department for Education and the Church of England.
Staff, parents, and the school’s neighbours will be consulted in the autumn. The link-up would not take place till next year
John Longsden, the primary’s chairman of governors, said: "We are pleased to be granted permission to consult further about academy status.
"We feel this is a positive step that will enhance our current provision and therefore be a benefit to our pupils and the whole school community."
John Moran, from the East Manchester Academy, added: "We are delighted with the decision by the governors and the diocese of Manchester and are looking forward to the opportunity to work with St Barnabas Primary school."
The academy, sponsored by building giants Laing O’Rourke and Bovis, opened last September, serving an area which had not had its own secondary for nearly 40 years.
It was named as Greater Manchester’s second-most popular secondary school, after M.E.N found it had received three applications for every available place.
St Barnabas is one of hundreds of primary schools which are taking up a government invitation to become independent.
Previously, only secondary schools were allowed to break away from council control.
But after the government relaxed the rules, Cheetham Community Primary school in Manchester was one of the first in the country to apply for academy status.
A number of others have followed.
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How did the headliner arrive at the "top" academy bit. This is the problem with the whole academy programme. Popular the school maybe but "top" implies a successful educational performance and East Manchester Academy has no track record as yet.
School converting to academy status should be aware that there is no evidence that academy status either gives greater freedoms, more money or raises performance. What it does do is remove the school from parental and community influence and local authority oversight. Academy status puts all the power in a handful of trustees and the Secretary of State.
What this article does not state is that three Primary Schools in Manchester are going currently going for Academy status. two including St Baranabas are doing so because they have been in special measures and are in danger of failing. One is doing so because it is a successful school.
One can only wonder at the low vision of the current governors of these two schools who cannot think how they can improve standards without giving up all hipe and running to the untried and politically suspect option of an Academy run by a Building firm who build schools...... is there a conflict of interest here