The Heatons: Did you have a say on the proposed changes to the primary school catchment areas?

16/02/15

The deadline has now passed for you to pass your opinions over to the council about the proposed changes to the school catchment areas for Norris Bank, Tithe Barn and St Thomas’. Mike Wilson, director of Philip James Wilson, wanted to sum up his feelings and opinions he has heard from his clients over the last few weeks about the issue.

“Getting a home in the correct school catchment has always been a hot topic, never more so than in recent times in the Heatons. We have recently been through a phase of discussions about what may or may not happen to local primary school catchments. There was a similar process around 7 years ago when proposals were made to use the A6 as a catchment boundary for pupils in Heaton Chapel to transfer to Reddish Vale.

“The more recent consultation on the construction of a new primary school site and the change to Norris Bank, Tithe Barn and St Thomas’ catchment areas has not caused as much opposition since all the schools are rated by Ofsted as either good or outstanding.

“A few people have concerns that they do not wish their children to be the test classes in a newly opened school facility, but even so, the school that is now earmarked to move to the site, St Thomas’, has a good track record in terms of results. In fact, I often hear clients citing St Thomas’ lack of a sports field and general location as something which concerns them; the additional facilities of the new school campus at Buckingham Road will now help to reduce that concern.

“Personally, I feel that the proposals for moving St Thomas’ will help to solve some issues that school had and will benefit the local area. I disagreed with increasing Tithe Barn – but would have welcomed selling the site or what would have been proposed on the site!!

“I still firmly believe the biggest concern we have in the area in terms of schooling at the moment is at secondary level and the fact that the best school in the area, Priestnall (see reports below) is oversubscribed every year. If we are currently short on places at primary level due to a baby boom during the recession years, then it would surely mean that we need to start planning on where all the extra students are going to go when they leave primary school?

“I am not only a business owner but also a parent that has recently moved home to ensure my child’s safe passage to our preferred secondary school. I hope we can get some guidance from the council soon on proposals they may have for this problem.”