Parents ready for merger fight - Moreland pupils set for temporary transfer to St Luke's
Published: 11 February
by PETER GRUNER
A New six-week consultation over controversial moves to close Moreland primary school in Finsbury and transfer pupils to nearby St Luke’s was launched this week
RESPONDENTS have until March 25 to comment on the plans, which are strongly opposed by many parents and staff at both schools along with members of the National Union of Teachers.
Under the proposals, which could be put into action next year, children from Moreland would be housed in temporary classrooms at St Luke’s while a new £6million school is built on the site of their old school off Goswell Road.
Then children from both schools would be transferred to the new building, to be called St Luke’s, at the Moreland site. Social housing would be built on the St Luke’s site to pay for the scheme.
The consultation offers four options:
• Retain schools as they are. The council says this would represent poor value for money.
• Close Moreland and send children to other schools with vacancies. This would separate groups of friends and increase travelling for children.
•Create a Federation of Moreland and St Luke’s School. This still would not resolve building problems at Moreland and offers poor value, says the council.
• Close Moreland and invite St Luke’s to expand to a two-form entry school on the Moreland site. This is the option favoured by the council.
Save Moreland campaigner Daniela Vaccaro-Soden said: “This is supposed to be a consultation but it sounds like the council have already made up their mind.”