Exciting new future for 
Pye Bank Schools

By Rev Martyn Snow

Plans have been underway for some time now for the amalgamation of Pye Bank’s two schools. The Nursery and Infants school, situated at the top of Andover Street and the Junior School further down the same street are to be combined to form a new school on the site of the present Juniors.

This new venture presents the Burngreave community with the exciting opportunity to create a truly community based school. We want excellence for our children and a school where parents are given every opportunity to work with staff in providing this excellence. We also want a school which can be a resource for adult education and training.   Because of this, various community initities, including New Deal, Sure Start and the Young Children’s Service have come together to work with the Local Education Authority in planning the new school.

Funding is being sought from both New Deal and Sure Start for this project. Integrated care could then be provided for children from age nought through to eleven. There could also be after school clubs, community language school, community study support and adult learning. The possibilities are vast. Perhaps you have ideas of your own? 

The school is also to be partially funded by the Church of England.  Like the present Junior school, this new community facility will be a church school founded on Christian principles.  Respect for others and an increased understanding between those of different faiths are among these fundamental principles.

It is hoped that the amalgamation will take place in September of this year at the Infant School building.  Work will then be carried out at the Junior school to make it ready to receive all the children in January 2003. What will then happen to the Infant school building is still uncertain but the view has already been strongly expressed that the building must not be left vacant but rather put to use for the community.