Vote to close St George's

Neal Keeling

May 06, 2009

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COUNCIL bosses have voted to close a successful Salford school.

The city's ruling cabinet took the decision despite a campaign to save St George's RC High in Walkden.

The head has now accused the council of 'mismanagement' and vowed to fight on.

In March hundreds of pupils marched through Manchester - to avoid being charged for demonstrating.

When they took to the streets of Salford the council sent the school a bill for £1,918 to cover the costs. The school refused to pay and the cash was deducted from its budget.

The school is facing closure due to a huge rebuilding programme. To secure £182m to refurbish and build new secondary schools in the city the council has decided the 600-pupil school should shut despite being oversubscribed and seeing its record for pupils gaining 5 A to C GCSEs rise from 47pc in 2005 to 61pc last year.

Salford diocese is backing the council decision.

Pupils from St George's and the 750-pupil St Ambrose Barlow RC in Swinton would move to a purpose-built school at Wardley - between the two existing schools. The school would bear the St Ambrose name and have room for 1,050 children plus a 250-place sixth form.

Now the only hope for St George's is to appeal to the independent schools' adjudicator later this year.

Headteacher Phil Harte said: "The perversity of Salford council's actions in ignoring the overwhelming wishes of the electorate to keep open a very good school flies in the face of the government's announcements regarding their intentions to listen and to act in accordance with the wishes of parents. It is truly monumental mismanagement of the educational system when failing schools are rebuilt with state of the art buildings or are saved by becoming academies whereas good schools are being closed down. This is not the end and this issue is far from over." Council leader John Merry said: "This has never been about victory for one side at the expense of another - it's been about making the right decision for the future of our schools and young people in Salford. We've listened to what people have said and revised the Catholic schools proposals."

Iain Lindley, Conservative councillor for Walkden, said: "It is an excellent school. The Conservative stance is that you don't close good schools."

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FrostySnowman (06/05/2009 at 08:10)

The Labour Council have mismanaged Salford for years and got away with it. Too many councillors have had a cushy ride in the city. Unfortunately some will continue as the masses in their areas will carry on voting for the clowns, for others the game is going to be up soon.

Higgs Boson, Manchester (06/05/2009 at 11:12)

If the council wanted to be polular they would bow to the wishes of the school and its staff. If the council want to improve its services, then they have to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions.
The school will not close, it will just move to a new building, merge with another catholic school and have a different name, the school ethos and its staff and pupils make St Georges successful and I'm sure many of the staff will be able to make the switch. I see no reason why the new school cannot be just as successful or more so.
This is just a fear of change.

Doobydoo, Worsley (06/05/2009 at 13:20)

Some of the current and future pupils of St Georges will have much too far to travel in order to get to the new site. It is ridiculous that this school is going to be closed. Succesful schools should remain with the underperforming schools closed and pupils sent to better performing schools for their own benefit.
My children do not attend this school, it is consistently over subscribed. Maybe Salford Education Department need to take a better look at the issues here. They are also trying to move Walkden High School to a new "better" site with home having been compulsorily purchased without full permissin for the move having been granted.
Use your votes wisely in the upcoming local elections people of Salford.........Have your say!

nyb, ex manc (06/05/2009 at 13:36)

"The school will not close, it will just move to a new building, merge with another catholic school and have a different name"...Higgs Boson.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eh?

Higgs Boson, Manchester (06/05/2009 at 15:13)

nyb, ex manc

I know.. I couldn't believe what I was typing...!!!

True though.

Black Flag (06/05/2009 at 15:42)

Local authorities should have no involvement in education. They seem to do a huge amount of damage while adding no real value.

Knowall, stretford end (06/05/2009 at 18:43)

it is moving to a site that previously was deemed unfit for educational use by Salford council, Salford college had to close its buildings there due to the boggy nature of the land, so Salford council just throw away the report and do as they want. Most councillors do not like success because it reminds them of there own poor school reports, most in Salford are in it for their own self importance and make stupid decisions without fully thinking through it.
More traffic on an already very busy road, small site penned in by 4 very busy motorways with all that entales for clean air and noise. I will not be voting in the next local elections, the tories are about voting out new jobs in Salford, the Lib dems have a leader who gave punctuation a miss at school and Labour who are failing us loyal members.

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