§ Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress he is making with Tameside MBC in discussions on re-locating Cromwell School. [101447]
§ Jacqui SmithTameside local education authority has served a statutory notice, under section 339 of the Education Act 1996, to make prescribed alterations to Cromwell School, Thornley Lane South, Denton. Cromwell is a mixed day school for pupils with severe learning difficulties which is currently approved for 60 pupils aged 12–19.
Tameside proposes to:
re-locate the school onto a new site adjacent to Dukinfield Astley High School;increase the school's size to make provision for 70 pupils;reduce the school's age range to 11–16—students between 16 and 19 would attend Tameside College.If approved, the proposals would affect post-16 students from September 2000, pupils between 11 and 16 from September 2001.
Officials from the Department will be meeting those from Tameside this week to discuss the proposals.