Decision - St Luke's Infant and Junior School Proposed Merger

To inform the Cabinet Member of the outcome of the statutory consultation on the proposal to amalgamate St Luke's Infant and Junior Schools.

To provide the Cabinet Member with sufficient information to be able to determine the proposal.

1.       That the statutory notice be confirmed.

2.       That the recommendation to discontinue St Luke’s Infant School, extend the age range and expand the premises of St Luke’s Junior School from September 2009 be approved.

1.       It is recommended that the proposals to change the age range of St Luke’s Junior School and expand the premises accordingly and to close St Luke’s Infant School by one form of entry are approved. 

2.        Both are popular and successful schools that many parents and carers choose for their children.  There is no evidence to suggest that the size of a school has any effect on the success of a school.

3.       The Council believes the advantages of the creation of all through primary schools are as follows:

·       Greater continuity in teaching, pupil care and development under a single head teacher and teaching staff.  It is very important to ensure continuity in planning the curriculum across the stages of education so that pupils make the best possible progress in learning.

·       The school could offer a greater range of teaching skills, including the opportunity to appoint curriculum co-ordinators with the time to oversee the effective teaching of individual subjects across the whole 4–11 age range.

·       Greater flexibility that a 4–11 school has in organising classes, deploying teachers and support staff and using resources, including buildings, more effectively.

·       Closer contact with parents over a longer period of time and covering the full span of the children’s primary education.

·       Practical advantages to parents’ e.g. same staff development days, the same school policies relating to home links, uniform, codes of conduct etc.

·       Transfer to a different school environment after three years or less of schooling might be seen as an unnecessary disruption to pupil’s sense of security and well being.  A positive feature of 4–11 schools is the social interaction between younger and older pupils.

4.      The public consultation prior to publication of the notices showed that a number of parents and carers of the current infant school were unhappy with the proposal to create an all through primary school as in their opinion this would be to the detriment of early years teaching in the school.  This point was considered at that time and on balance it was considered that this would not be the case.  This view has not changed.  It is considered that the proposed changes will benefit pupil and staff development.

5.      The two schools currently provide a range of extended services to the school community; this situation will not change as a result of these proposals.

6.      The school is covered by the Council’s admissions arrangements which strives to provide a truly local school which serves its most immediate community and assists in the aspirations of the Local Authority in terms of green travel arrangements.

7.7     The two schools currently occupy different floors of the same building.  There is no intention to change this in the immediate future.  However, as with all schools in the City, the Council continually monitors the condition and suitability of school premises and it is recognised that some of the infant classrooms are smaller than would ideally be the case.  This will be considered in the same way as similar needs at other schools within the City and programmed accordingly.

The alternative option is to leave the schools as separate infant and junior schools.