Operator picked for first city centre primary school in 20 years 

Manchester City Council has appointed the Laurus Trust to run the 210-place school being developed within Renaker’s Crown Street masterplan. 

Construction of Crown Street Primary School is underway and is due to complete in time for the 2024/25 academic year. 

The school will open with a 26-place pre-school class and a 30-place reception class. It will expand in size as pupils move through the school until it has pupils in each year group from pre-school to year six.   

There will also be an on-site daycare centre for children younger than three. 

Renaker is delivering the school as part of its Crown Street skyscraper cluster. 

Once complete, the area will boast more than 6,000 homes. Deansgate South, part of the four-skyscraper Deansgate Square development, is currently the tallest building outside London. 

Crown Street Primary School will be located between two 51-storey towers, the Blade, which is under construction, and Elizabeth Tower. 

“As majority landowner within this part of the city, we’re leading the transformation of this new city centre district,” said Daren Whitaker, managing director at Renaker. 

“We’re delighted to be building a new city centre primary school for the local community, working closely with the city council and Laurus Trust. 

He added: “The creation of sustainable neighbourhoods for the long-term, which include high-quality homes and amenities catering to the needs of residents and the local community, is really important to us, and we’re proud to be developing the much-needed infrastructure to enable people to call the city centre their home.” 

Laurus Trust also operates Didsbury High School, Hazel Grove High School, and Gorsey Bank Primary School, among others. 

“We’re honoured and delighted to have been chosen by Manchester City Council to run Crown Street Primary School,” said Linda Magrath, chief executive of the Laurus Trust. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to be entrusted with the opportunity to run the first new primary school to be built in the city centre in twenty years.” 

“As more people move into the city centre and make it their home, it’s really important we make sure they have the infrastructure they need to let them live their lives – whatever stage they’re at,” said Cllr Garry Bridges, executive member for early years, children, and young people at Manchester City Council. 

“Having a good local school on their doorstep is what every family wants and we’re determined to make sure this is something that is also available to our fast-growing city centre community.”