A TOP Uppermill school’s new teaching arrangements have left governors at loggerheads with transport chiefs.
After extensive consultations with parents, Saddleworth School decided to allow pupils an early finish on Wednesdays to enable teachers to attend key training sessions.
The pupils, who work an extra half hour on each of the other days, have been provided with more than 100 extra-curricular options to fill their afternoon.
But confusion has risen over how many of the 1,300 pupils who do not remain on school premises are to get home.
Transport for Greater Manchester’s Head of Bus, Howard Hartley, declared: “Unfortunately, changes were made to school hours without consulting TfGM in advance about the impact on bus services and resulting increase in cost.
“We worked with bus operators to ensure services are available for the extended school days. However, the early finish on Wednesday increases costs beyond TfGM’s available budget.
“We have written to all schools and informed them of the need to involve TfGM at the earliest stage regarding any proposals for changes in hours, and reiterate there is no funding available for additional services.”
But Brian Lord, chair of Saddleworth School governors for 14 years and a local parish councillor, refuted the claims.
He said: “The school informed TfGM about changes to the school day in February – six months before they were implemented.
“During those six months, school representatives worked hard to try and negotiate reasonable service that worked for all parties.
“The good news is all morning services are unaffected and the afternoon ones on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday appear to be working well.
“The only remaining issue is Wednesday afternoon when children leave the school site and currently have to wait, in large numbers, for service buses on the High Street in Uppermill.”
He added: “These are tough financial times for all of us yet the school has committed additional staff to supervise and enable children to get home safely.
“We are no longer asking for additional buses and have reiterated our request the buses pull into the bus turnaround directly adjacent to High Street and we where would continue to ensure the public were allowed to board the bus first.
“This would be much safer for our children and would cause less disturbance to village life.
“But, for whatever reason TfGM, have said this is not possible, which seems to beggar belief.”
But Cllr Royce Franklin, Chair of the Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership Traffic and Transport Group, insisted TfGM were not notified of changes until March and he also expressed concerns for the impact on the village market.
“In March I chaired a meeting attended by First Bus, Transport for Greater Manchester, the Police, the school and a Borough Councillor.
“Until that meeting the TfGM were unaware of the change and made it clear in a letter to the school dated 15 May, 2014 that no bus service would be available for early closing on Wednesdays.
“Despite this what disappoints me is the governors of the school had the opportunity to reverse the proposed change but chose not to.
“The school is an integral part of the community and the impact of the changes does not seem to have been appreciated by the school at all.
“Wednesday is market day in Uppermill when many quite elderly people go by bus to and from the village.
“The number of stalls seems to have at least been maintained since parking restrictions were imposed for the whole of Wednesday for the Square. We don’t now need obstacles put in the way of the market use.”
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