A SECONDARY school, badly hit in the December floods, may not return to its former site.

Newman Roman Catholic School was flooded out of its base on Lismore Place, Carlisle, near to the River Eden and is now considering new sites all over Carlisle when it comes to leave its current, temporary home.

It is a decision not being taken lightly by the school’s headteacher, John McAuley, governors, the diocese and local councillors.

Clare Feeney-Johnson, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for schools, said: “The position is really key and in the town centre there isn’t land the size that you would put a secondary school on so it’s got to be very carefully looked at and chosen what is being done. Everybody is committed to it.”

Mr McAuley said: “It’s just a very difficult thing, rightly so, so we’ve got to make sure we get it right.”

“And that’s why it’s important not to rush,” added Mrs Feeney-Johnson, “We’ve got to make sure all the conditions are right.”

Mrs Feeney-Johnson visited Newman School’s temporary site in Harraby at the old Pennine Way Primary School site yesterday. ( WED) She is positive about the school’s future and said it was an exciting time for the school and it’s pupils.

“Looking to the future for Newman a new building will be very modern,” she said. “I think it’s very positive.”

Mr McAuley said while conversations about the future were going on in the background, the most important thing is the children at the school today and ensuring they have access to the best facilities.

For a school with 610 pupils, moving to the Harraby site was no mean feat. Staff and pupils took over an old primary school not geared up for hundreds of secondary school pupils.

Free transport takes students is to and from Newman with pick up and drop off points across Carlisle.

There has been significant investment in IT and state-of-the-art spacious Portakabin classrooms that include food technology kitchens and science suites.

Heather Herring, head of IT, said: “I’ve told them they’re not kicking me out. I’m quite happy here.

“The computers are fab and the space is good.

“It was a massive change for [students] coming up here but they literally got on with it, business as usual.”

Wherever Newman School does move to, the new computers and other new first class resources will be moving with them. Mrs Feeney-Johnson was impressed both by the facilities and the sports facilities the school is using at the Harraby Community Campus.

Parents of year five pupils are invited to the school’s open evening at 4.30pm on Thursday, June 23, where they will be able to see the resources and facilities available at the temporary site located at Silverdale Road, Harraby.