Age range 3&4-year-old 30 hour extended entitlement
Number of places: 30fte
Anticipated opening date: 1st April 2024 if possible
Location: Wilsden Primary School
In accordance with the DFE’s guidance Making significant changes to an open academy, we are writing on behalf of Wilsden Primary School to consult with you on the proposal. The consultation process will be held between Monday 18th December 2023 and Monday
29th January 2024 covering a period of 4 weeks not including school holidays.
Comments on our proposals should be sent to Wilsden.office@focus-trust.co.uk by Monday 29th January 2024 at 4pm
or through this link for your feedback: https://forms.office.com/e/J9GERRp4hs
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 unfortunately closed at the end of December
2022 and there has been a lack of group based early years provision for children aged 2, 3 and 4 since 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 18 months 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 has been missing since January 2023.
Should we be successful in opening a nursery class, children who attend would be prioritised for a school place as part of our admissions policy.
We originally submitted an application to the Regional Advisory Board in December 2022 but were this was not taken forward to be considered at a meeting due to the school currently having a judgement of Requires Improvement (from inspection dated January
2020.) We are submitting our application now following a recent inspection in November 2023 where we were judged as ‘good’ in all areas.
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 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 holding a four week consultation phase from Monday 18th December 2023 to Monday 29th January 2024. THis period takes into account the school holidays from Friday
22nd December 2023 to Wednesday 3rd January 2024 (inclusive)
When are we proposing the change?
Timescales Notices published: Monday 18th December 2023 4 week Consultation period: 18th December 2023 to 29th January 2024
Report to Focus-Trust Board to consider the outcome of consultation and statutory notices and determine proposals: Focus-Trust Board has already approved the application both for the original consultation and then since our most recent inspection. The Accounting
Officer for the trust signed the business case on 30th November 2024.
Proposed implementation date: 1st April 2024 if possible.
Our initial proposal, which was submitted for consideration at the Regional Board meeting in February 2023, was removed from the agenda because the Regional Director has asked the school to put the nursery provision on hold until they move out of Requires
Improvement. Wilsden Primary School has recently been inspected and our grading is good across all areas of school with effective safeguarding. We would now like to request that the Regional Director / Board considers this proposal again in light of our good
judgement.
We are consulting concurrently about a policy covering admissions to Nursery should our application be successful.
The proposal can be found here: 20231121_Wilsden_Primary_School__Proposal_to_lower_the_age_range.pdf (wilsdenprimary.co.uk)
The proposed Admissions Policy can be found here: Proposed_DRAFT_Wilsden_Primary_School_Nursery_Admissions_Policy_and_arrangements.pdf
(wilsdenprimary.co.uk)
Feedback link: https://forms.office.com/e/J9GERRp4hs