A PRESTWICH high school celebrated a landmark agreement with Bury Council last week.

The former Manchester Jewish Grammar School, in Charlton Avenue, launched a new name and was welcomed into Bury local education authority's family of schools for the first time.

The school is now voluntary-aided and will be known as Manchester Mesivta High School.

More exciting times are ahead as the school is also looking forward to a brand new purpose-built campus on the Charlton Avenue site.

Headteacher Phavish Pink, school governors, Ivan Lewis MP and representatives from Bury Council met up on the site to see how work was progressing and to celebrate the new agreement.

Mr Pink said: "Staff and pupils are excited at the prospect of returning to their old site in Prestwich, but in a modern building with state-of-the-art computer technology throughout. The funding from Bury Council will permit the school to expand its curriculum to provide great vocational opportunities for those who struggle with GCSEs. I would like to thank local MP Ivan Lewis and the director of education Harold Williams for their advice and support."

The old grammar school was demolished earlier this year and the pupils transferred to temporary accommodation in Salford.

A new £5.5 milllion school will be ready for the 2005/2006 academic year next September and is being funded by a government grant and contribution from the trustees of the school.

However, the school will be maintained through money from Bury Council.

Harold Williams, director of education, said: "It is unusual for a an independent school to become maintained by an LEA and this is certainly a first for Bury. Parents will no longer be required to pay fees but will still be able to access high quality education in their community."

Coun Maggie Gibb, executive member for lifelong learning, added: "The decision of the governors at Mesivta High to join the local education authority just shows how highly regarded our education service is and I am sure we will all reap mutual rewards from our new relationship over the years to come."

Ivan Lewis also expressed his delight at the partnership and said: "The rebuilding of the school will ensure that the pupils and teachers have access to the 21st century facilities they deserve."

The Mesivta High School is for 275 boys, aged from 11 to 16 from Bury and Salford. However, in a similar agreement with Salford Council and the governors of Beis Yaakov Jewish High School for Girls, a new voluntary aided school for girls from the Bury and Salford areas is being set up in Salford.