Parents' plea to turn disused school into primary to help 300 unplaced children
Parents have called for a former comprehensive in Bristol to be reopened as a primary school.
Their calls have been given a boost by the city council, which has confirmed it has looked again at the possibility of turning the former Fairfield School site in Fairlawn Road, Montpelier, into a primary.
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Its verdict is that this could be done – but there are problems and it would be expensive.
B PAC, the group campaigning on behalf of the 300 parents across the city who have yet to be offered a reception class place for their children for September, thinks that using Fairfield was worth considering, as it could help families in St Paul's as well as those in the lower part of Bishopston.
Rachel Milne, from the group, said: "This could be a good temporary solution for many parents."
Mrs Milne, 33, from Brynland Avenue, Bishopston, a physiotherapist, who is seeking a place for her four-year-old daughter Rosie, said: "It makes sense to use this building, which is already a school. It would surely be a cheaper and better option than bussing dozens of children across the city."
Community organisation St Paul's Unlimited has also campaigned for some time to turn Fairfield into a primary school.
The council said in a statement: "We have had a feasibility study done on the old Fairfield school to see if it could be used as a primary school for up to 420 pupils.
"It has its own inherent problems but it could be done."
Fairfield – whose past pupils include Hollywood idol Cary Grant – closed in March 2006 when pupils and staff moved to a £19 million new school off Muller Road.
The building was then used for a year to house the first pupils of the new Redland Green School, until that secondary was ready.
Part of it is now being used for a pupil referral unit for children aged seven to 11 who cannot attend normal lessons for a range of reasons, a base for the city's hospital education service and for offices.
The council had intended to sell the site and use the proceeds towards the new Fairfield.
More recently, it has looked at various options to make use of the buildings or site to help tackle the city's shortage of primary places.
These have included:
Rebuilding St Barnabas Church of England Primary in Montpelier on the old Fairfield site at twice its current size;
Using the old Fairfield buildings as temporary accommodation for St Barnabas pupils and staff while their school is rebuilt and expanded on their current site.
It had been thought that converting the Victorian buildings in Fairlawn Road into a stand-alone, new 21st century primary school would be too expensive, because of the need to meet standards for access for disabled people and space requirements.
But the council statement says the Disability Discrimination Act could be met by internal work. Officers believe the historic buildings could not be demolished.
The biggest difficulties to be overcome, they say, would be meeting external space rules for facilities such as soft play and playing fields, which are covered by guidelines known as BB99.
There would also be issues about what to do with the parts of the building not used for schooling.
Council spokeswoman Katharine de Lisle said: "If it were seen as appropriate to develop a school at the old Fairfield school it would need a cabinet decision to approve capital allocation, spend and the statutory process."
20 Comments
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by Mrs Griffin, Montpelier
Thursday, May 05 2011, 10:41AM
“This school really needs to be re-opened for parents living within the Ashley ward. SO many parents in the area ship their children OUT of the area to 'posh' schools with good Ofsted reports like Sefton Park, St Michael's and Ashley Down, which are bursting at the seams already.
We need an integrated school that represents our rich cultural make-up, which would discourage all the middle-class parents who are happy to live in the area, but not send their children to local schools like St Barnabus or St Werbergh's.
Re-open Fairfield and you'll get the children currently being sent up to schools like Sefton Park and Ashley Down staying in the area, and places will open up for Bishopston and St Andrew's families at these existing schools.
Children and famililes in St Pauls and lower Montpelier should to have the opportunity to attend good schools, with children from a mix of backgrounds. The city needs to stop ghetto-tisation and inherit segregation that is happening in Ashley ward's local schools.
It's election day - make your vote count!”
by Juan Alvarez, St Andrews
Thursday, February 26 2009, 7:23PM
“Surely there ought to be some role for this historic school building. We would prefer such a solution that made use of these buildings than anything supposedly purpose-built.”
by Natalie, Bishopston
Monday, February 23 2009, 9:48AM
“Hi Maddy,
BPAC is a group of parents, like yourself with no offers of reception places in September.
We have had one meeting, putting forward our aims and objectives, essentially to lobby for both short and long term solutions - we all would wish for our kids to stay local.
Please contact the group, and come to the next meeting , you will be amongst friends with the same issues.
Be working together, we have more power to affect change.”
by Steve, Bristol
Monday, February 23 2009, 9:25AM
“-there is a bit of a scandal brewing about the Brunel college site -check out "the bristol blogger" for the details
-I tow my 5 year old to school on the back of my bike. It lets me get through montpelier and the one-way bits of nugent hill -drop the kids off and then off to work by nine. It is possible, but not by walking a four year old. Try them on scooters instead.”
by Jo, Bristol
Sunday, February 22 2009, 8:57PM
“Hi Maddy, this is the group's email address bristolprimaryadmissionscrisis@yahoo.co.uk and I have heard they have a meeting in early March but not sure so you best check with them. Jo”
by Maddy, stapleton/st werburghs
Sunday, February 22 2009, 6:01PM
“My daughter wasn't offered a place for september. Please tell me just what B-PAC is and when and where you meet and/or how members stay in touch. I'm very interested in joining the debate. Thanks
Many thanks”
by Jo, Bristol
Sunday, February 22 2009, 1:16PM
“Liz, I totally agree with you and maybe I did not make my point clearly enough. We live near Glos Road and I can't see myself walking all the way to Fairfield with a dawdling 4 years old and manage to get to work by 9 oclock! We are just an average family on an average income and both of us need to work. Our nearest school is Ashley Down and if our daughter was to get a place there (!), I could just about manage if I did swaps with other parents who live close but if I have go out of my way it is going to be really hard without having to resort to paying a childminder. Jo”
by Liz Haydon-Turner, Bishopston
Sunday, February 22 2009, 10:29AM
“Jo - Sefton Park to Fairfield is only 5 mins on foot for an adult.”
by Liz Haydon-Turner, Bishopston
Sunday, February 22 2009, 10:25AM
“I am a member of the BPAC group and believe I speak for us all when l say that we'd like a new Bishopston/Brunel school as well as utilisation of Fairfield as well as solutions beyond just temporary classrooms to deal with the oversubscription in Henleaze/Westbury and down into Easton.”
by Jo, Bristol
Sunday, February 22 2009, 9:13AM
“Surely the most logical thing to do to address shortage of places in central and north Bristol would be to relocate and expand St Barnabas school on the old Fairfield site (as the council planned to do I think) and to build a new school on the old Brunel college site. The former would help parents in Montpelier, St Pauls, Eastville, St Werburghs and St Agnes , whilst the latter would help parents in Bishopston and over the west side of Gloucester Road. We live near the top of Ashley Down Road and we would have to drive to Fairfield to drop off our daughter, totally in the wrong direction to our work. I am sure that will be the same for many local parents. The council has had a huge hand to play in the crisis; it did after all approve significant housing developments in the area for a start so they should not really have been caught out. They are still trying to go ahead with expanding Sefton Park School despite strong local opposition, to create a mere 30 places. Do the maths! 30 places; that will really address the shortage! Jo”