Background information
The local authority has a duty to secure sufficient early years entitlement places for eligible children.
Sandy Lane Primary School, Cottingley Road, Allerton Bradford BD15 9JU currently admits pupils aged 5 to 11 (inclusive).
Sandy Lane Primary School have requested that Bradford Council to support the school to establish nursery provision.
What are we proposing and where?
The Local Authority is proposing to lower the age range of Sandy Lane Primary School to enable the school to provider early years entitlement places for 2,3 and 4 year olds.
The primary reason to propose this change is that the local preschool closed leaving the local community without access to group based early years’ provision. The closure of the local preschool was not due to lack of demand for early years places, and the
sufficiency assessment of the availability of places within the area supports this proposal. The nearest group based provisions are 1.5 miles away.
Why are we undertaking a Statutory Consultation?
Before the Local Authority can make changes there is a statutory process that the Local Authority must follow. Whenever the Local Authority proposes to make a change to the age range of a school, all interested parties who are likely to be affected by the
Council’s proposals must be consulted in the development of the proposals.
We are commencing a six-week Statutory Consultation phase which will run from 3rd December 2021– 18th January 2022. Normally this would be a four-week period but has been extended to account for the Christmas period.
When are we proposing the change?
An indicative timeline for completing the Statutory Consultation and statutory processes is set out below:
Activity
|
Timescales
|
Statutory notices published in the local newspapers (Statutory Consultation period begins)
|
3rd December 2021
|
6-week Consultation period. (Please note due to Covid restrictions public meetings cannot be held but information on the proposal will be available online or by contacting the Lead Officer by telephone.)
|
3rd December– 18th January 2022
|
Report to Council Executive to consider the outcome of consultation and statutory notices and determine proposals
|
1st March 2022
|
Proposed implementation date
|
1st April 2022 Summer term
|
Who are we consulting with?
- Parents/Carers
- School Staff and Governors
- Elected Members
- Local MPs
- Trade Unions
- Local Early Years & Childcare Providers
- Local Parish & Mosque Councils
- Any other interested parties
Why are we consulting with you?
Whenever the Local Authority proposes to lower an age range of a school to accommodate nursery aged children, all interested parties who are likely to be affected by the proposals must be consulted in the development of the proposals.
It is important that the proposals are the subject of broad consultation with all interested parties to ensure that your views are considered and that you are fully informed and involved before a final recommendation to the Council’s Executive Committee
is made.
Prior to making any decisions in relation to the proposals for maintained schools the responses to the consultation will be fully analysed. The shared views will help shape the final report which will be presented to Council Executive for consideration on
the 1st March 2022.
All of the above documents can be found online by visiting:
www.bradford.gov.uk/consultations
How to respond to the consultation
- Complete the Statutory Consultation questionnaire online, no later than 18th January 2022
Sandy Lane Primary Consultation
https://online1.snapsurveys.com/SandyLanePrimaryConsultation
- If you do not have access to the internet or you would prefer a paper copy of any of the documents, please contact telephone
07582109754 or email SufficiencyConsultation@bradford.gov.uk
- Alternatively, please send any written responses to the email below:
SufficiencyConsultation@bradford.gov.uk
or by post to Teresa Barrowclough Childcare Sufficiency Officer Intelligence and Sufficiency Service, 7th Floor Margaret McMillan Tower, Bradford BD1 1NN
Thank you for taking the time to read this consultation document. Your views are important. Please make your views known to us by completing the Consultation questionnaire or let us have your comments.