BRANDLESHOLME CP School has been treated very badly by Bury Local Education Authority (LEA). The headteacher and governors were assured by the LEA that closure was not on the cards, but in the meantime they were plotting its downfall.

My understanding is that the initial plans were to amalgamate Old Hall and Brandlesholme schools. But when they realised the level of opposition from the middle-class core of parents at Old Hall, the LEA dragged Woodbank into the equation. This made it easier for them to close the Brandlesholme site.

The LEA called two public meetings at Elton High. The majority of the Brandlesholme parents would have had to catch two buses each way, to arrive by 7pm and then leave around 9pm on a cold, dark winter's night. This was evident as the majority of parents present were representatives of Old Hall, a school made up mainly of middle-class pupils. There are sites in the Brandlesholme area where the meeting could have been held and it still remain "neutral". It is obvious for all to see that the numbers of children in the Brandlesholme area has dropped in the past few years. However, to simply close a school is both unfair and detrimental to all concerned. The LEA decided over a year ago to close Brandlesholme and this fall in population has been used as an excuse.

I agree that rationalisation is required, but to move the pupils of the lowest populated school to the school with the highest attendance doesn't make sense, unless of course you subscribe to the opinion that you will never persuade middle-class parents (those at Old Hall) to send their children to a school in a "lower class" area. This is why Old Hall is not being merged with Brandlesholme.

In my humble opinion it would make more sense to amalgamate the two schools with the lowest roll calls, on a new site. As for the arguments about cost, it is going to cost nearly as much to upgrade Woodbank as it would to build a new school, as Woodbank will require four new classrooms, a nursery and an extension to its assembly/PE hall.

Parents of other schools should take note, especially those on Walmersley Road and Bolton Road who I believe will be next on the list. It is cheaper and easier for the LEA to close a school than to organise an amalgamation and if this closure goes ahead, then more will follow - and sooner rather than later!

A CONCERNED RESIDENT

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