Council's schools plan on knife-edge after by-election result

Oct 18 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

KNIFE EDGE

The plan is part of a £500m Kirklees wide revamp and will see some schools in the area expanded.

But 11 might close, including Castle Hall at Mirfield and the sixth form at St John Fisher, Dewsbury.

A working group of educational leaders has been formed and Mr Malik’s office confirmed they would meet the Schools and Learning Minister, Jim Knight, soon.

Mr Malik said the working group had a responsibility to save children’s futures, not just for one generation but for many to come.

The group would be putting together alternative proposals that would include the retention of Castle Hall School and St John Fisher’s sixth form.

The plans would also allocate cash for a special sixth-form centre in Dewsbury and look at an alternative site for the proposed merger of Birkdale and Westborough schools in Dewsbury.

This week councillors voted to reject the shake-up, but the final decision is down to the nine-strong Tory-run Kirklees Cabinet, which will meet in January.