Proposal to increase capacity at Newdigate Primary School Consultation

Overview

This consultation is being undertaken to advise you of proposals concerning Newdigate Primary School and to invite you to tell us what you think of the proposals. This is part of a statutory consultation process that Warwickshire County Council is managing in partnership with the Governing Body. The proposal is:

To increase the capacity at Newdigate Primary School from 315 pupils to 420 pupils (1.5 forms of entry to 2 forms of entry). The published admission number (PAN) will increase from 45 to 60, meaning the school will grow by 105 pupils across all year groups.

Why your views matter

Why Change?

The proposed increase in capacity at Newdigate Primary School is related to the general rise in the population of primary aged pupils living in the planning area, which is the result of the higher birth rate in recent years and new housing being experienced by the County as a whole.

The schools across the planning area have been operating with between -3 and 3% surplus capacity over the last 3 years of intake.  The County Council has a statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places for all pupils and current projections indicate that additional capacity will be required in the area in the forthcoming years.  With Newdigate Primary School already taking several ‘bulge classes’, it is proposed that extra permanent places are provided at the school enabling the school to operate at two forms of entry on a formal basis.  Increasing the PAN to 60 will mean the school can operate as a 2 form entry primary school and there will not be a need to ‘mix classes’.

Building consequences

This letter concerns the statutory process of increasing the capacity from 315 to 420.  The school has undergone some refurbishment to accommodate the existing ‘bulge classes’ and any further changes or building works will be subject to a separate process and will be linked to the submission of an application for planning permission.  

What is the proposed timetable?

• March 2017: The County Council’s Cabinet gave approval for the proposal to go out for consultation
• 6th September 2017 – 6th October 2017: Consultation with parents and the local community to take into account the views expressed regarding the proposals to increase in capacity.
• 9th November 2017: If Cabinet agree to the proposals, the decision will be implemented with the expansion being completed in time for September 2018.

What happens next