THE NEW Islington Free School in East Manchester will be in temporary premises when it opens to pupils next September.
The New Islington Free School partners, Manchester Grammar School, Urban Splash, New East Manchester and the HCA are reluctant to identify exact locations but one of the existing buildings would no doubt include the ground floor of CHIPS.
And there’s a bit of a hurry on to decide exactly where, with five different locations in the running and officers from the Education Funding Agency (who as the name suggests allocate the money) in town soon to look at the options.
All are in the New Islington/Ancoats area close to the school’s preferred permanent location which will be off Redhill Street on a plot bordered by the retail park and the canal.
Two of the temporary options would use existing buildings that would be divided to make suitable classroom space; two other locations are cleared sites where temporary modular buildings would be dropped in and a fifth would combine the refurbishment of an existing building with additional temporary buildings alongside.
The New Islington Free School partners, Manchester Grammar School, Urban Splash, New East Manchester and the HCA are reluctant to identify exact locations but one of the existing buildings would no doubt include the ground floor of CHIPS.
Manchester planners have already granted permission for the front half to be used as a children’s day nursery although there seems to be have been little progress to date so it could use all the ground floor or run alongside.
The other building and the refurb option are more likely to be in Ancoats urban village where there are various big spaces still available and the refurb would have legacy merit.
New Islington is basically one cleared site so it could go on any number of plots there although others just outside could be contenders if they wanted to make sure any future development is not compromised. Cleared sites would have the benefit of speed and any prefabs, sorry modular buildings, could be made to order.
Stuart Leeming, deputy high master at MGS and a director of New Islington Free School Company said: “The agreement is that the school has to open in the next academic year so the pressure is very much on.
“It is simply not possible to complete a permanent school in the time frame we have got. For 2013 we are looking at a number of interim sites which the Education Funding Agency will visit and we expect them to give a very quick decision on their preferred option.
“Once we have some clarity about where the school is going to be located we would need to begin our launch campaign and publicise the school.”
They will be advertising shortly for a Principal Designate with an appointment before Christmas so they can be in place full time by next Easter and they hope to open an office in New Islington where parents can drop in to get more information.
While a large number of people registered support for a Free School here the challenge now is turning that support into concrete applications. It will be one form entry with 30 children per class and open with reception to year three initially.
It is unclear yet whether the school will be part of the city’s co-ordinated admissions programme or whether the school itself will handle admissions for 2013.
Mr Leeming said: “We are hoping it will be the former but there are copy deadlines for brochures and obviously we need to be able to say where the school will be, but I have faith it will all fall into place.”
As to the permanent school, the budget will again be fixed by the EFA but they are considering a 'mini architectural competition' and are likely to commission through the North West Construction Hub.
