Crown Street Primary School – Manchester’s brand-new city centre school, located in New Jackson, was officially announced ‘open’ last week, as the school welcomed stakeholders, parents/carers and members of the community to join them for a ‘ribbon cutting’ ceremony, to officially declare the school open.
The first school to open in Manchester city centre for nearly twenty years, it opened its doors to Reception and Pre-School pupils for the first time in early September, for the start of the academic year. The school is a unique building with four floors and a rooftop playground, a first in Manchester since the early 1900s, and a design which mirrors schools found in London and New York.
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, Manchester City Council, said:
“The opening of Crown Street Primary in the heart of Manchester is brilliant news for our rapidly growing number of city centre residents and is going to make a real difference to young families living in the area, giving them more options about next steps when their children reach school age. It’s a fantastic building – completely unique in its setting – with a best-in-class learning environment that is sure to bring out the very best in all its pupils and help them reach their full potential.”
The school is an inclusive, non-selective, non-denominational one-form entry school. Following a successful opening to its first-ever pupils this September, it will continue to admit further pupils into its Pre-School and Reception classes each September over the next six years until 2030, by which time it will reach full capacity with 210 pupils across year groups Pre-School to Year 6.
Head of School, Heleyna Thompson thanked all stakeholders for their support with opening the school and went on to say:
“Inspired by our setting amid the tallest buildings in the city, our vision for the school is to provide education on another level, where possibilities are endless and where all pupils can thrive regardless of their background or circumstance.
“We’re determined to make sure our school is an enjoyable and exciting place for our pupils and getting to know them all over these first few weeks and seeing how much they already love their school has been brilliant.”
Local Councillors and members of Manchester City Council were in attendance, along with leading Manchester property developer Renaker, who built Crown Street Primary School as part of the wider regeneration taking place at New Jackson. The school will support the demand for school places for families living in and around the New Jackson neighbourhood and surrounding areas.
Daren Whittaker, Chairman at Renaker added:
“We are thrilled to see the first pupils walk through the doors at Crown Street Primary School and proud to be able to deliver much needed infrastructure for residents at New Jackson and the wider local community. The school represents a major milestone in our vision to create a thriving, family friendly urban neighbourhood and will provide high-quality education for generations to come.”
Crown Street Primary School currently provides 30 Reception places and up to 24 Pre-School places. Reception and Pre-School admissions for next September 2025 are now open for families who wish to apply for a place for their child.
For more information about the school visit: www.crownstreetprimary.org.uk