Consultation on the proposed lowering of the age range to include 3 and 4 year olds at Wilsden Primary School.
The Board of Directors of Focus-Trust are consulting around a proposal to lower the age range of Wilsden Primary School as outlined below.
Age range 3&4-year-old 30 hour extended entitlement
Number of places: 30fte
Anticipated opening date: 1st April 2023
Location: Wilsden Primary School
In accordance with the DFE’s guidance Making significant changes to an open academy,
Making significant changes to an open academy (publishing.service.gov.uk) we are writing on behalf of Wilsden Primary School to consult with you on the proposal.
The consultation process will begin on Monday 14th November 2022 and continues until Monday 12th December 2022 (a 4 week consultation)
Please send any comments on our proposals to
Wilsden.office@focus-trust.co.uk by Monday 12th December at 4pm or use this link for your feedback:
https://forms.office.com/r/azdC4msN8u
Alternatively, post to Nursery Consultation, Wilsden Primary School, Tweedy Street, Wilsden, Bradford, BD15 0AE
We look forward to receiving your comments.
Proposal for lowering the age range at Wilsden Primary School to include children aged 3 and 4 years
Background information
Up to December 2022, Wilsden has had sufficient provision for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years as there has been Wilsden Village Nursery, an Independent Nursery, operating in the village. Wilsden Village Nursery have published their intention to close at the
end of the autumn term 2022 and there will be a lack of group based early years provision for children aged 2, 3 and 4 from January 2023. Wilsden Primary School has recently lowered the Published Admission Number from 60 to 30 which has created a space within
school where we would very much like to site nursery provision.
We entered into discussions about a year ago with Wilsden Village Nursery to operate in our building but this has not been possible. Following the closure of the Nursery, we feel strongly that the plan to have our own Nursery will not only strengthen the
existing transition we can offer to the children who start in Reception at Wilsden Primary School, but it will also provide the necessary group provision for 3 and 4 year olds which will be missing from January 2023.
What are we proposing and where?
Wilsden Primary School and Focus-Trust is proposing to lower the age range of Wilsden Primary School to enable the school to provide early years entitlement 15 or 30 hours places for 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 nearest group-based provision is in Harden which is 1.5 miles away.
Why are we undertaking a Statutory Consultation?
Before Wilsden Primary School and Focus-Trust can make changes there is a process that must be followed. Whenever proposals to make a change to the age range of a school are made, all interested parties who are likely to be affected by the proposals must
be consulted in the development of the proposals.
We are commencing a four week consultation phase which will run from 14th November to 12th December 2022.
When are we proposing the change?
Timescales
Notices published: (Consultation period begins) 14th November 2022
4 week Consultation period: 14th November 2022 to 12th December 2022
Report to Focus-Trust Board to consider the outcome of consultation and statutory notices and determine proposals: Tuesday 13th December 2022
Proposed implementation date: 1st April 2023