Every high school in Wythenshawe is being rebuilt or refurbished to create 21st Century learning facilities. Major employers are working with local people of all ages to provide the skills they need to get into work.
All four Wythenshawe high schools are being extensively rebuilt to provide 21st Century learning environments in projects costing tens of millions – led by Manchester City Council.
Newall Green High School, has been rebuilt at a cost of £18.3 million with completion due this year. The school, a specialist Arts, Science with Mathematics and Vocational College, is one of only a handful of schools nationally which have three subject specialisms.
New homes for St Paul’s High School and Piper Hill SEN High School are being created on the St Paul’s site in Baguley in a £26 million project completing this year. The new home for St Paul’s High School was completed this year and the new Piper Hill SEN High School is being built.
Two high schools converted into academies in 2009. Parklands, sponsored by Manchester Airport, became Manchester Enterprise Academy with a focus on business and enterprise, while Central Manchester & Manchester Children’s NHS Trust’s sponsorship of Brookway brings a focus on health and bioscience to the new Manchester Health Academy.
Six of Wythenshawe’s primary schools are performing well above than the national average, and some are among Manchester’s highest achieving schools.
Wythenshawe offers a variety of further education including Sixth Form College Campus and Construction Training Centre.
The £27 million build of the new Manchester College started this autumn on the site of Willow Park Housing Trust’s head quarters on Hollyhedge Road. The further education college will include a construction-training centre, a construction visitor centre and a sixth form learning resource block, which will focus on vocational courses such as plumbing, painting and decorating and vehicle maintenance. It is being funded by the Learning and Skills Council and is due to be completed in the summer of 2011.
There are 43,600 items in stock at Forum library, issues vary by month but on average are about 15,000 issues per month
Forum Library is the second most visited library in Manchester, second only to Central Library.
The Forum library computers have approximately 70,000 users each year (the 2nd busiest after Central Library).
Active members snapshot in Aug 09 measured how many people were ‘active’ i.e. had something out on loan, the results were; Central library – 31,575, Forum library – 11,072, Chorlton library – 8,921
Forum Library also has the highest DVD issues of the city including Central Library.
Wythenshawe Forum Learning is a partnership between Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES), The Manchester College, Manchester Libraries and Jobcentre Plus. It is a ‘one-stop shop’ for education, training and employment opportunities for adults. Forum Learning provides a range of opportunities ranging from basic skills to GCSEs and level 3 vocational qualifications.
