Proposals for Changes to Primary School Provision in St.Ann’s and Mapperley became public on Monday 22nd, May.
Key reasons for the review and the proposals are -
Falling birth rate means a significant surplus of school places - 6,899 projected by 2008 in city;
Falling rolls mean falling budgets;
DfES requirement to reduce surplus places (guidance 5%); it's better to spend money on teaching and learning rather than empty or under-utilised classrooms;
1865 places in the 8 schools in the review. Serving 1367 pupils (Jan 2005) - surplus of 27%;
Predicted to rise to 36% by Jan 2009;
If proposals implemented, would reduce area surplus to 5%;
Actual proposals are -
Blue Bell Hill
Retain. Reduce school capacity to 210 and nursery capacity to 30 (fte) from 1 Sep ‘08.
Elms
Retain 210 place school +30 (fte) place nursery.
Expand catchment to incorporate some of the existing Sycamore catchment.
Huntingdon
Retain 210 place school + 30-place fte nursery.
Expand catchment to incorporate some of the existing Sycamore catchment.
Identified as the preferred option for the St.Ann's South Children’s Centre.
St.Ann's Well Infant,
St.Ann's Well Junior
Close both schools on 31 August 2008.
New primary (in existing buildings at St.Ann's infant site) from 1 September ‘08.
Create a new catchment incorporating parts of existing St.Ann's Well and Sycamore catchments.
Sycamore Infants
Close on 31 August 2008.
Sycamore Junior
Close on 31 August 2008.
Walter Halls
Retain. Increase capacity of the school to 420 and the nursery to 60-places (fte) from 1 September ‘08.
Expand catchment to incorporate some of the existing St.Ann's Well catchment.
Public consultation (5 weeks incl. ½ term) will be from 22 May to 23 June 2006, with a report to Executive Board on 19 September 2006
Expanding ...
The Council’s review of surplus places in city primary schools has reached a new stage with the start of public consultation on proposals affecting schools in St Ann’s and Mapperley. Children’s Services are discussing plans to reshape primary school provision in the area with school staff, governors, parents, carers and the local community. The proposals suggest the closure of two infant/nursery schools and two junior schools, and the creation of a new primary school on Hungerhill Road. Eight schools would affected by the reorganisation, with two Roman Catholic primaries (St Augustine’s and Our Lady and St Edward’s) unaffected by the review. Of the eight, one – Walter Halls – could increase its capacity to 420 places, plus 60 nursery places. Blue Bell Hill would halve its capacity to 210 places (with 30 instead of 60 nursery places). Elms and Huntingdon would stay as they are, each with room for 210 pupils and 30 nursery places. The Huntingdon site is the favoured location for a future St Ann’s Children’s Centre It’s proposed to close Sycamore and St Ann’s Well junior schools at the end of the summer term in 2008, together with the two associated infant and nursery schools; the plan is to create a new five-to-11 primary school on the site of St Ann’s Well Infant and Nursery School. The review has its origins in the Government’s demand for spare places to be cut in schools across the country to reduce wasteful spending on under-used premises. The savings can then be targeted where it is most needed – to pay for new equipment and books and more teachers. The eight St Ann’s/Mapperley schools have room for almost 1,900 children. Falling birth rates mean that the number of children attending those schools is predicted to be around 1,200 by January 2009 – leaving over one-third of desks empty. The proposals would provide room for 1,260 primary-age pupils from September 2008. Nottingham’s primary schools reorganisation process is already completed or underway in Clifton, The Meadows, the Bestwood/Top Valley/Rise Park area, Aspley and Lenton, Radford, the Arboretum and Dunkirk. It was begun three years ago with the setting-up of a working group where head teachers and members of the City’s school organisation team developed a common strategy to achieve improvements with minimal disruption to education.
The Evening Post have covered he story but some of the detail is not expressed well. Extracts follow -
Parents and the public are being asked for their views on the plans before June 23. ... Under the proposals, Walter Halls' capacity would be increased, from 380 to 420 places. ... The Huntingdon site is also being considered for a brand new St Ann's Children's Centre costing £300,000. ... The aim is to cut the number of empty desks in the city - saving more than £1m in building costs and £500,000 a year in staffing to be pumped back into education. ... Education spokesman Coun Graham Chapman said that would pay for the equivalent of 15 new teachers. The St Ann's schools affected have space for almost 1,900 children. By January, 2009, the council predicts there will be only 1,200 pupils on roll - leaving one-third of desks empty. ... Coun Chapman said: "It was a toss-up between Huntingdon, Elms and Sycamore. ... Doing nothing is not an option. We want to retain most of the expertise and quality of Sycamore. This is not a reflection of the standards or fine work that the staff in this school have done. We can use the expertise developed at Sycamore to the advantage of every one of those pupils. ... It will save £1m on what we would have had to invest to keep the schools going, which goes back into education, and we're saving £500,000 a year on day to day costs. That's probably going to pay for about 15 teachers. It goes into the schools budget and allows us to pay for more teaching assistants, teachers, books, resources, all sorts. That's what it does instead of going into buildings that we don't need. That's the hard fact about it." [Last updated 06-05-22]
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