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246/08 23 July 2008
County Council Accepts Federation Recommendation From Cheshire East
Cheshire’s Executive Member for Children’s Services David Rowlands has formally accepted the recommendation of the Cheshire East shadow authority to invite the Governing Bodies of Bollington Cross Church of England Primary School and Bollington St John’s Church of England Primary School to enter into a federation.
This way both schools would continue to operate but with one Governing body and a single Headteacher.
County Councillor Rowlands also decided that statutory public consultations should take place on the possible closures of St Barnabas Church of England Primary School and St Edward’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Macclesfield to establish a new joint church school. This new school would be based on the St Edward’s school site
The County Council has invited the Chester Diocesan Board of Education and the Diocese of Shrewsbury Education Service jointly to consider with the County Council options for the establishment of this new joint church school to serve south Macclesfield.
And the County Council also supports plans by both to obtain agreement to waive the requirement to hold a competition to establish the new one form entry school.
County Councillor Rowlands agreed to authorise statutory public consultations on the possible closure of Ash Grove Primary School.
The decisions were made today (Wednesday) at the Children’s Services Executive meeting.
“All the decisions taken today had to be weighed very carefully” said County Councillor Rowlands.
“I agreed to accept the advice from Cheshire East shadow authority because it will be responsible for implementing these decisions when it comes into being in eight months time.
“We had put forward the proposed closure of Bollington St John’s Church of England School because of rising surplus places in the area.
“The possible federation of the two Church of England schools needs to help us address this but there is still much to do and I know that Cheshire East will look keenly at this issue.
“Authorising statutory public consultations on the possible closure of any school is never an easy decision to make.
“The issues associated with Ash Grove Primary School are complex and the County Council has given careful consideration to this decision.
“Much work also needs to be done to establish a joint church school to serve Macclesfield and I am grateful to the Dioceses of Chester and Shrewsbury for their close partnership work with us to bring us to this point.”
-Ends-
NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information please contact County Councillor Rowlands on 01244 300655.
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