Full Statutory Proposal for the Change of Age range at Highfields Primary School

The Department for Education Statutory Guidance for School Organisation regulations: ‘Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools’ and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013 requires that when the Local Authority is proposing a significant alteration, i.e., a change to the age range, it must consult upon the proposal and make a formal decision to make the alteration permanent. 

Public consultation is in accordance with the statutory guidance produced by the Department for Education whereby ‘LAs can propose a change of age range of 1 year or more for community schools (including the adding or removal of nursery provision) by following the statutory process set out in the regulations’.

As an integral part of this process, residents were invitied you to take part in the consultation for the change of age range at Highfields Primary School from 3-11years to 5 - 11 years.  

Objection 1: “I understand a deficit of money is the primary reason for closure of Highfields Primary Nursery setting, however as the number of pupils suggest who attended in the previous year it’s clear you have enough pupils to attend 1 session rather than running 2 sessions per day.

Attending a school nursery setting is so vital to the child. The transition to reception makes it so much smoother if the child has already been in attendance at the school, the child will be less nervous and show more confidence having that experience and familiarisation of the building, teachers faces, routine etc. The early years are the most important part to get them ready for when the child attends school full time. It is the foundation of school life!

As a parent of an older child and one about to start nursery in September, I am extremely anxious about where my daughter will attend after having a very poor experience using a private nursery setting for my eldest. Regardless that private nurseries follow the EYFS it just isn’t the same! A school setting has that support network within the school, more structure than that of a private nursery. A lot of local private nurseries around Highfields are also asking parents for cost towards fees (even if they are entitled to government free childcare scheme) they say the government payment doesn’t cover the cost of the nursery and will also charge parents for their child’s lunch with no option of providing your own so you have to pay it! No private nursery allows your child to attend for 3 hours per day, you have to send your child to nursery which fits there schedule and not what is best for the child.”

Objection 2: “I currently have 1 child attending the school and 1 who we would love to attend the school. I went to the school myself and had a great experience and my boy is currently experiencing the same.

My youngest would hugely benefit from the provision that is being proposed to be shut down.

I’m currently looking at another school for her to attend but logistically it’s not feasible for this to happen, I would have to hugely rearrange my working conditions for this to happen and I fear it would put a huge financial strain on my young family.”

Objection 3: “I currently have an older child at Highfield Primary School with my younger child due to start nursery next year.  If there is no nursery at Highfields, the next school based nursery is Blackheath Primary School which is driving distance from our home.  This means we are logistically unable to get two children to two different schools for the same time each day, because of this if we do want our younger child to start nursery we would have no other choice but to consider private nurseries in the area.”

Three written objections to the proposed closure of the school’s Nursery from a potential cohort of parents / carers of 60 children that the Nursery has capacity to provide for each academic year is a very small representation to the proposal. 

The proposed closure is not purely based on the grounds of finance, but the reducing number of applications for nursery places over recent years.  The school’s management have advised that there was little demand for places for this academic year. 

Prospective demand for nursery places is extremely low which has rendered the school’s Early Years offer to be unsustainable to staff and resource, and not providing value for money.

Following the significant and unprecedented birth rate boom from 2008/09, and the subsequent demand that brought upon pupil capacity in schools with the need to expand the school building estate, current pupil projections do indicate the school population now continuing to reduce.  With the closure of the Nursery class at Highfields Primary School a number of school based and private nursery’s continue to operate within the local area offering alternative provision for young children and their families.

There are currently no further proposals to close any school-based Nursery’s within the Rowley Regis area.

For the reasons detailed in response to the three objections made, it is considered that these are not strong enough grounds to revoke the Statutory Proposal, and that the Cabinet Member has approve the recommendation to make the prescribed alteration at Highfields Primary School.