PARENTS today gave a mixed reaction to proposals for Manor School to move to a new £17.5 million facility.

The Evening Press exclusively revealed yesterday that the school could move to a greenfield site currently earmarked for a Park&Ride site about 400 yards along Boroughbridge Road from Manor School and on the same side of the road.

The school is on the hunt for a new home because its current 3.5-hectare site, which caters for 640 pupils, could not house 900 youngsters as part of its expansion plans. But a plan has yet to go to the council and would also have to go out to public consultation.

David Crookes, 47, of Beckfield Lane, has two children, Michael, 13, and 15-year-old Hannah, at the school, and a six-year-old, Jonathan, who could go in the future.

"I think it's a wise move. People are always trying to get into Manor because it's a good school and it makes sense to increase the size.

"The school is too small for the number of pupils it has now, and I don't have a problem with them taking in more pupils. If the head teacher and staff feel confident they can handle 900 kids then I do, as I rate both the staff and the head very highly."

But Karen Marks, 41, a housewife from Beckfield Lane, whose son also goes to the school, said: "I have mixed feelings about the move.

The busy road is certainly a bother and it would be very dangerous for the kids on their bikes.

"I also think there will be problems getting access to and from the new site as the roundabout is already too small for traffic.

The real bonus is that the schools sporting facilities will be dramatically improved."

As a voluntary-aided church school, Manor does not have a strict catchment area and 60 per cent of its places are church-related foundation places, although it gives priority to youngsters living in the local area.

In December last year, Manor featured on Ofsted's "outstanding" list, which rates the top 457 primary and secondary schools for the second time, and 81 per cent of youngsters doing their GCSEs at Manor got A* - C grades in 2005.

Chairman of Governors Linda Hildreth said: "This is a really exciting time for the school. At the minute, we are terribly oversubscribed and we have had to disappoint some parents and children, but this move would mean we could offer more places."

A sixth Park&Ride site for York has been planned since 2002. Currently, York has five Park&Ride schemes - at Askham Bar, Rawcliffe Bar, Grimston Bar, the Fulford Designer Outlet and Monks Cross. Another is planned on the A59, near Poppleton.

Manor's head teacher, Brian Crosby, said the new school would provide a "fantastic opportunity" for the city's youngsters.

Updated: 09:50 Friday, January 27, 2006