A series of open evenings aimed at sharing the borough’s plans for Building Schools for the Future will commence this week.

Each school in Phase One of the BSF Programme will show their plans to students, parents and the wider community during a 90 minute drop-in session. Members of the community are encouraged to attend as this is their opportunity to help shape plans to improve leisure, sport and adult learning facilities in their local area through this investment into schools.

Westhoughton High School’s session will be on Tuesday, 9th March.

Each open evening runs from 7pm to 8.30pm and will provide parents and the community the opportunity to find out more and have their say on the ideas put forward by each school.

The open evenings follow a successful BSF design day held recently, which saw the pupils present their ideas to an audience of local authority representatives, other schools from Phase Two and Three and Balfour Beatty Education, the company selected to deliver the BSF Programme in Bolton.

The plans are still being developed and people are encouraged to register their views by March 31 at www.bolton.gov.uk/bsf

Parochial... 200-years of history

A debate has started has to whether to Westhoughton’s Parochial Primary School should change its name as part of modernisation plans.

The school’s headmaster, Gareth Robertshaw, has announced radical plans to change the 200-year old school name to St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School. They say that the word ‘parochial’ means narrow-minded – and it is too hard to spell.

Students of by-gone years have questioned the decision, saying that the word ‘parochial’ also means ‘pertaining to a parish’, highlighting its link to the town’s church. But the school says that changing the name will create greater links with the church.

One former student of the school told us: “People who went to the Parochial knew it as a good place, with good teachers, and changing the name will do nothing but lose 200 years of history. If the headteacher wants to modernise he can do this in other ways, but they should leave the name alone.”

Angered former students have submitted their objections to Mr Robertshaw, and the school’s governors. A recent poll on this website also showed that more people objected to the proposals than were in favour.

Westhoughton South ward councillor David Wilkinson, who was actively involved with the school for many years as a governor, said: “Changing the name of the school is merely cosmetic. The real change must come through good quality teaching, effective leadership, and modernising the school facilities. It would be a shame not to see the Parochial’s name live on through the next 200 years.”

The school’s position was defended by Adam Seddon, who said: “The school was founded by the church, funded for many years by the church and more recently heavily funded by the St Bartholomew’s for the re-development of the class rooms. The name change is about bringing the name of the school in line with the other CofE schools in Westhoughton.”

The Parochial was in “special” measures until a recent Ofsted report said the school was now “good” again.

You can submit your own views by e-mailing Gareth Robertshaw at RobertshawG@westp.bolton.sch.uk or write to Gareth Robertshaw, Head Teacher, Westhoughton Parochial CE Primary School, The Fairways, Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5 3NZ.

You can also submit your comments using the form below.

For those wishing to object, you can sign this petition (below):

Bolton Council is to hold a series of public consultations

Westhoughton’s pupils, parents and residents are to be consulted on how best to improve the town’s primary schools through the Primary Capital Programme (PCP).

Consultation will take place through letters to parents letting them know about the consultation process.  There will be a series of meetings across Bolton which the general public are welcome to attend. The full consultation document will be available on Bolton Council’s website from 15 September.

A meeting will take place to discuss the overall programme at the Gates Community Primary School on 21 September between 2:30pm and 6pm, and anyone is welcome to drop in at any point.

The programme is a government plan that aims to bring primary schools across the country up to modern standards.

Over the next 13 years, Bolton Council will receive funding totalling £80m through PCP, which will be used to refurbish and rebuild around half of the borough’s primary schools.

The money will help to create additional pupil places to meet Bolton’s growth in population, meaning that a higher proportion of pupils will secure a place at their preferred school.

Work has been split into phases, and some of the schools earmarked for the first phase have had small extensions this summer but, if approved, any significant expansion work will not be carried out until after this consultation is complete – in most cases beginning later this year.

Any schools that have plans for rebuilding or for extremely large-scale refurbishment will be the subject of further, more detailed consultation aimed at local residents.

Westhoughton High School

Plans to demolish and replace the old and weary buildings of Westhoughton High School have been welcomed.

Councillor Julia Silvester’s Liberal Democrat team was pleased to hear that school has been included in the first phase of the Building Schools for the Future project.

The buildings are set to be replaced and modernised. Julia commented: “This cannot come quick enough. The high school buildings need to be brought up to scratch.”

The majority of the course fees are only £1.25 per hour – Courses for £5.00 if in receipt of certain benefits (except ECDL & Emergency First Aid)

Phone Catherine Evans on 01942 840575 to book your place – e-mail address – catherineevans2005@yahoo.co.uk

The programme is as follows:

A recent council report has highlighted the fact that Westhoughton High School’s buildings need to be replaced and are the worst in the Borough.

The council is to receive £82.9million pounds from the Government to replace or rebuild its secondary schools for its phase 1 building programme.

Liberal Democrat Councillor David Wilkinson has asked the council’s Director of Children’s Services to confirm if Westhoughton would be first in the building plans and she has replied confirming Westhoughton High School would be first.

Councillor Wilkinson said: “We are amazed for once that Bolton Council has put Westhoughton first for something, as many of Westhoughton’s residents feel that Bolton does not give Westhoughton a fair deal.”

Your Liberal Democrat team welcomes the news that new facilities will be provided at Westhoughton High, BUT we have to wait and see if the Labour Councillors who run Bolton Council will put Westhoughton High School first on the list or change it for another school in Bolton.

WATCH THIS SPACE…

Teacher-pupil ratios in early years education have fallen across the country according to official figures released yesterday and analysed by the Liberal Democrats. There are 40 local authorities where the ratio of qualified teaching staff to pupils in primary schools has fallen, and 50 authorities where the ratio has fallen in nursery schools.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Spokesperson, David Laws MP said: “It is impossible to see how the Government can deliver on its numerous pledges to improve the standard of early years education across the country when the ratio of trained teachers to pupils is falling.”