Grand plan to turn old hotel into a free school (From Echo)

Grand plan to turn old hotel into a free school

5:00pm Monday 2nd May 2011 in Education

Rebecca Beales, Stephen Shanks, Martin Beales, Karen Glassborow and Samantha Lierens

PARENTS and teachers want to set up a new primary school in Leigh, possibly within the landmark Grand Hotel.

The ten-strong group is keen to create a community school with “high expectations of academic achievement”, offering smaller class sizes and one-to-one teaching.

They are putting together a proposal for Government approval with hopes the school will be up-and-running by the end of next year. The school, which would opt out of the local education authority, would be the first of its kind in Essex .

The consortium, led by Karen Glassborow, a supervisor of Smiley pre-school, in Glendale Gardens, Leigh, has its sights set on two possible sites – the Grand Hotel, in Leigh Broadway, or a house in Hadleigh Road, Leigh.

If approved, the independent school would be run by parents and community groups, with start-up costs funded by the Government.

Miss Glassborow, 42, hopes the creation of the school will relieve pressure on other schools in the area.

She said: “We have some fantastic primary schools in Leigh. However, they are increasingly overwhelmed.

“We want to create another first choice local school, with high expectations of academic achievement and high expectations of behaviour.

“We envisage a small, community school with open communication between the school, pupils and parents, where children are introduced to the careers and lifestyles of others in the community.

“We want to offer an alternative type of education.”

The consortium claims many of the primary schools in the area are over-subscribed and parents are being offered schools further away from their catchment area. Miss Glassborow, added: “We chose the Grand Hotel as one possible site because we love the building and we think it would be great to preserve it and give it back to the community.

“We have found many families would welcome the chance for an alternative education for their children.

“We wish to provide a stimulating environment, where children enjoy their education and are encouraged to succeed.”

The consortium hopes to gain more community support and is conducting a survey of opinions before submitting the final proposal to the Department of Education at the end of May.

Parent Sara Neveda, 35, of Leigh, whose four-year-old son Ralph will be attending Our Lady of Lourdes, in Manchester Drive, believes the school would give parents much-needed choice.

She said: “It will open up the capacity of the other schools and take the pressure off them.

“It will be another option for parents in this young community.”

To add your views to the survey visit www.leighfreeschool. co.uk