A LOCAL Jewish school is planning a £5.4 million new start within Bury's "family of schools".

Manchester Jewish Grammar School in Prestwich wants to ditch its fee-paying status and become a voluntary aided school.

Governors want to build a new £5.4 million school on its current Charlton Avenue site, to be up and running by September 2004.

It will cater for 275 pupils, up from its present 180, comprising boys aged from 11 to 16. There will also be an independent sixth-form school on top of that.

The new school will be known as Manchester Mesivta High School, in line with Bury Council's insistence that it drops the word "grammar" from its title.

The council is supporting the school's aims, on several conditions which the Jewish school has largely met.

Apart from the new name, governors have agreed not to select pupils by ability, and to employ staff under nationally-agreed terms and conditions. Following inspection, council officers are happy that it can meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.

However, Bury still has several worries, over whether such a small school will be financially viable and have enough teaching space.

The Jewish school is asking the Government to provide 90 per cent of the building costs.

To increase its accommodation, it wants to buy land from the council which is occupied by Thorndyke Walk adult education centre. It also wants to use St Mary's Park to meet the requirements for having a school playing field.

The council is also concerned that it may have to find the money to run the school in its first year, which would take money away from other schools in Bury. The governors are talking to the Government about changing the funding rules so that this does not occur.