State-funded Catholic faith school plans given go-ahead despite opposition
Some parents who oppose the plans say the school should be about local children and not what faith they follow.
Sunday 1 March 2020 02:29, UK
Plans for the first state-funded Catholic school to be built in England for more than a decade have been given the green light despite opposition from some councillors and residents.聽
The school will be located at Hampton Water, a new housing development on the outskirts of Peterborough, and will eventually accommodate 630 pupils after it opens in 2022.
The government will pay 90% of the estimated £11-15m cost of the project with the city council contributing more than £1m.
The school was given the go-ahead by the city council despite some opponents criticising the plans for prioritising pupils on faith and concerns over traffic on the nearby A15.
"I live here and I want a local school for local children," said Paul Elliott, who lives a short walk from the site of the new school and campaigned against the plans.
"My concerns are that children will be coming to this school from up to 10 miles away. It should be about local children, not what faith you follow."
If the new school is oversubscribed it will make its selection 80% Catholic faith-based, with the rest chosen by proximity.
There are 25 schools in the Roman Catholic diocese of East Anglia and the Sacred Heart primary school in nearby Bretton is one of them.
"You don't have to be Catholic to send your children here," said its headteacher Mark Cooper.
"Faith schools are about creating a positive environment where children can learn together, play and pray."
A Department of Education spokesperson said voluntary-aided schools are valued by parents for their "strong and positive" ethos.