PLANS to relocate Wayne Rooney's former school as part of a plan to drive up standards have sparked anger.
Our Lady and St Swithin’s Catholic primary has been on its Parkstile Lane site, in Croxteth, since 1840.
But Liverpool council is considering relocating it to the same site as Croxteth secondary St John Bosco college.
The rebuild would cost around £3.5m and council officials believe it would help drive up standards.
At present, Our Lady and St Swithin’s, which counts England striker Wayne Rooney as a former pupil, is within the 20% of schools not classed as “good” or “outstanding” by education watchdog Ofsted.
A council source said: “We believe moving it to a new site will help improve standards.”
But the plan has sparked anger among some residents.
Janet Dale, 55, who has a grandchild at Our Lady and St Swithin’s, said: “I went to that school, my children went there and now my grandchild goes there.
“It has been there for decades and is part of the community.”
She said there were fears the relocation plan was linked to plans to attract online retailer Amazon to Liverpool.
The possible location of the warehouse, which could create 1,000 jobs, on the Stonebridge Cross site, has meant that a previous masterplan for Croxteth is being redrawn. Previously, 500 new homes, a new home for St John Bosco college and a supermarket were planned.
Now St John Bosco college is being rebuilt on its present site in Storrington Avenue.
The council insisted the proposal to move Our Lady and St Swithin’s was not linked to the Amazon plans.
A spokesman said: “There is a proposal to co- locate Our Lady and St Swithin’s with St John Bosco as part of our Secondary Schools Investment Plan.
“This is just a proposal at this stage and a consultation exercise is under way to get all views before a final decision is made by the Archdiocese.”
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A spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese added: “No decision has yet been made.”
