'We want to be a local community school': St John Henry Newman Catholic primary school opens for first term

Hampton’s newest primary school has opened its doors for the first time – after concerns were raised from parents about the school’s selection criteria.

St John Henry Newman Catholic Primary School has welcomed Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 students so far.

When the Aqua Drive school is fully opened within the next six years, it will offer places to 630 pupils, with 90 in every year group.

Headteacher Mark Cooper explained the school’s admission policy to the Peterborough Telegraph: “We are a Catholic school but we do not require any percentage of our intake to be Catholic.

“You don’t have to be Catholic to attend a Catholic school. This is a school for all faiths, and those with none”.

Before opening, some residents had expressed concern about St John Henry Newman’s status as a faith school and were worried that children from non-Roman Catholic backgrounds might not be offered a place.

Previously, it was said the school’s selection criteria would choose 80 per cent of its pupils based on faith and 20 per cent on location, if it is oversubscribed, although its governing body will review the selection process every year.

Currently, the number of places at the school given to children from Catholic families is around 50 per cent, a figure similar to the national attendance average for Catholic schools.

The decision to approve the primary school initially prompted anger from residents in Hampton Water who campaigned against it and even started their own petition.

Many of them said they felt let down at buying their new home, only to find out later that their children may not be able to attend the local school due to their faith.

Mr Cooper, who is the former headteacher of Sacred Heart in Bretton, added: “We have protected places for the local community.

‘Catholic schools there to serve community’

“We want to be a local community school, absolutely we do.”

The school, which is run by the Diocese of East Anglia, brings the total number of primary schools within the Hampton area to five.

Classrooms at the school have been named after inspiring individuals including David Attenborough, John Lennon, Neil Armstrong.

And doors to classrooms feature colourful, stained glass windows at each door.

Mr Cooper added: “Because of the admissions policies that are there for Catholic schools, there may have been the view that ‘you can’t come in’, but it’s not like that at all.

“All Catholic schools are there to serve the community and that’s what we will do”.

The school, which was built in just eight months, was built off site and ‘shipped’ from Hull, in stages, to cause less disruption for residents.

It has been 90 per cent funded by the Government with the council having to pay between £1.1 million and £1.5 million.

The school, which has vehicle electric charging points on site, also has dedicated Design and Technology and art rooms, an on-site kitchen and a vast playing field.

Parents and pre-school children also were invited to taster sessions at the accompanying Busy Bunnies nursery, which also opened this week.