Formal representation on the changes to the registration of Spencer Nursery School and Hackbridge primary School

Overview

The consultation paper attached outlines a proposal to change the registration of Spencer Nursery School from a maintained Nursery School to part of Hackbridge Primary School's registration.

Spencer Nursery School is a specialist maintained nursery school delivering high-quality affordable childcare and education for children under 5. Spencer Nursery School provides 12 full-time places per day for 0-2-year-olds, 12 full-time places per day for 2-3 years olds and 24 places a day, including full and some part-time places, for 3 and 4-year-olds for 50 weeks of the year from 8.00am until 6.00pm. In the schools latest inspection report for Early Years Provision it was judged to be 'Good’ for education and ‘Outstanding' for childcare in September 2017.

Spencer Nursery School federated with Hackbridge Primary School in November 2016. A federation is where is where a number of maintained schools come together (in this case two) under one governing body and share leadership arrangements.   

Hackbridge Primary School is a popular four form entry community school, with attached nursery for 3 and 4 year olds, term time only, located in Hackbridge. Hackbridge is a ‘Good’ school as judged by Ofsted in July 2018.

The London Borough of Sutton is proposing to make changes to the registrations of Spencer Nursery School and Hackbridge Primary School. This proposal consists of three related proposals that, if agreed, will be implemented simultaneously as follows:

(i) London Borough of Sutton (LBS) close the Maintained Nursery School registration for the childcare for 3&4-year-olds at Spencer Nursery School.

(ii) Hackbridge Primary School open (as part of the school registration) Nursery provision for 3&4-year-olds to be delivered at the existing Spencer Nursery site.

iii) Increase the age range of Hackbridge Primary School from 3-11 to 2-11 to expand the early years provision to provide early years education and childcare for 2-5-year-olds at the existing Spencer Nursery site.

These proposals do not include any substantive changes to the way that childcare is delivered to parents and there is no intention to change the existing delivery at Spencer Nursery. Spencer Nursery will continue to deliver flexible childcare for privately funded and free entitlement funded places over 50 weeks of the year between 8 am and 6 pm daily.

Why your views matter

The London Borough of Sutton, in partnership with  Spencer Nursery and Hackbridge Primary school, would like to know what parents in the area think about the proposal. We welcome comments and questions from parents or other interested parties regarding the proposal

• The Consultation period will open on 1st October 2018, and close on 2nd November 2018.

• There will be a meeting for parents and other interested parties on Wednesday 17th October at Spencer Nursery School

Please read the consultation document attached at the bottom of the page and complete the online survey. We would prefer that respondents use the online survey, however, if respondents would prefer there is a hard copy of the consultation response form attached below with details of who to send it to in the consultation document.

Ultimately the decision to make the changes to the registration details of Spencer Nursery is the Local Authority’s. It is anticipated that Councillors at the London Borough of Sutton will consider the responses to the consultation and make a final decision on Thursday 6th December 2018. Should members decide to approve this proposal, changes will come into effect in April 2019.