St Marys Junior SN Complete Proposal

Overview

In recent years there has been a marked upturn in the numbers of children born in the Borough. By way of response we have embarked on a programme to increase primary schools’ capacity to meet the additional demand for places, initially at reception year, but in the case of the proposed expansions of the three junior schools, at Year 3 too. This increased demand is projected to be sustained at least up to the end of the decade.  The Local Authority has a core duty to ensure there are sufficient places to meet the needs of its children and families and therefore it is obliged to plan for the expansion of its school capacity.

Why your views matter

We have to increase the number of primary school places to meet additional demand because of the sustained increase in births in the Borough over recent years. We believe that the proposals should ensure that every Sutton child requiring a school place will get one.

In earlier phases of the Primary Expansion Programme, consultation was undertaken on the expansions of the three linked infant schools. These expansions have now been implemented. At the time of the earlier consultations a major consideration was to do with the future need to enlarge the corresponding junior schools in order to accommodate the larger year groups working up through the system. Those larger cohorts will require places in Year 3 in September 2015.

The Council’s Children, Family and Education Committee considered the matter at its meeting on 13^th March 2014 and authorised the publication of statutory proposals on the possible enlargement of three junior schools. These are:

Cheam Common Junior

St Elphege’s Catholic Junior

St Mary’s Catholic Junior

What happens next

A statutory proposals on the possible expansion of the three junior schools will be published at the very start of the summer term and the representation period will run for four weeks. The statutory proposals are available for downloading from the Council’s Website or direct from the Pupil Based Commissioning Team.

All responses will be carefully considered and reported to the Children Family and Education Committee at its meeting in June. The Committee will then be asked to approve the statutory proposals.