Moat Farm Schools Change of Age Range

Overview

Moat Farm Infant School

and Lavender Farm Day Nursery

Sandwell Council is consulting parents / carers, staff and the local community on the change of age range from 2 –7 years to 0–7 years at Moat Farm Infant School.

WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL?

The school’s current registered age range is 2 -7 years; including Nursery and Reception for children aged 2-5 years and Key Stage One pupils aged 5–7 years. 

The school also operates ‘Lavender Farm Day Nursery’, Brookfields Road, Oldbury, which provides 150 places for children aged 0–5 years, under the Governing Body’s community powers as outlined in the Education Act 2002. 

The school is due to convert to academy status in Autumn 2023 and join Stour Vale Academy Trust.  The Academy Trust wishes to take over management of Lavender Farm Day Nursery but does not have the same community powers, therefore the current proposal is to extend the age range of the Infant School to include the children attending Lavender Farm Day Nursery.

THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND OUTDOOR AREAS

There would be no change to the school buildings or Lavender Farm Day Nursery. 

WHY WE ARE PROPOSING A CHANGE

The Department for Education’s policy for schools converting to Academy status is to ‘convert as is policy’.  The Early Years provision should normally be run in the same way post-academy conversion.  If a school’s governing body is providing Early Years provision under its “community powers”, changes are required as those powers are not available to academy trusts.

Therefore, any Early Years provision that will be run by the Academy Trust post conversion, will need to be reflected within the Infant School’s age range.  Stour Vale Academy Trust would be running Lavender Farm nursery following the school’s conversion to an Academy, the age range of the school must be changed to start from 0 years of age to include this provision, and the age range set out in the Academy’s Funding Agreement with the Department for Education should reflect the age range of all registered pupils at the Academy.

Why your views matter

STANDARDS

Lavender Farm Day Nursery was last inspected by Ofsted in August 2022.  Its overall effectiveness was rated as Good.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY339394

Ofsted completed a short inspection of Moat Farm Infant School in February 2019 the school retained its Good rating.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/103949

EFFECT ON OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES IN THE AREA

There is not expected to be any direct impact on any other educational institutes in the area.