Flashback to September 1989, when it was revealed King Edward VI School, in Bury St Edmunds, could move to the Moreton Hall estate

This week we are looking back to September 1989, when King Edward VI School headteacher Mike Moran showed the Bury Free Press where the school could potentially move to.

With access from the bottom of Symonds Road, on the Moreton Hall estate in Bury St Edmunds, the new King Edward VI School would have allowed the school to move from ‘cramped and outdated buildings’ at its Grove Road site.

Drawings of the new school site plan included eight games pitches, an atheletics track, cricket pitch tennis courts and a main school building.

The Bury Free Press report of the proposed move said the comprehensive had occupied the former Silver Jubilee School buildings in Grove Road for almost 20 years, but these were getting old and difficult to look after.

Headteacher Mike Moran said: “Moving is a great opportunity for us – not a problem. It’s an exciting prospect to be offered brand new premises.

“Having the new school at Moreton Hall would put it within the correct distance of all three of the feeder schools (St James, Hardwick and Horringer Court middle schools).”

He said pupils at the new school, for 13-18 year-olds, would get the ‘best modern learning and sports facilities’.

“In some areas, high quality city technical colleges are being built. We would be able to offer those standards, but in a school situation,” said Mr Moran.

The outline plans also allowed for the school to expand from 1,200 pupils to 1,500, if needed, as the town continued to grow.

Roger Holland, chairman of Moreton Hall Residents’ Association, said the outline plans would be scrutinised and a response formed.

“There’s bound to be people for it and against it. I think people with children will be fairly happy but others may not,” said Mr Holland.

Susan Bloomfield, of Raedwald Drive, had three children and welcomed the planned school.

“I have to spend half an hour every morning taking them to three different schools across town. If two could go to a nearby upper school that would be a great help,” she said.

But Julie Bloomfield, of nearby Bederic Close, said she was promised by the council there would be no building on the land.

“When we bought our building plot we were told there would be no other development around the houses. I’m totally against this school because we don’t want to be overlooked,” she said.

The plans were eventually shelved, as the school remains in Grove Road today.