South Molton United Church of England Primary School – proposal to extend the age range

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Proposal

The Harbour Schools Partnership is consulting on a proposal to change the age range of South Molton United C of E Primary School from 4-11 to 2-11 years of age from September 2026.

Background

The Government is committed to creating or expanding school-based nurseries across England in line with the increase in early education and childcare entitlements and is currently inviting applications for capital grants to increase early years capacity in schools.

South Molton United C of E Primary School is proposing to extend the age range of the school to provide high quality school-based nursery provision for children aged 2-4 years of age from September 2026.  

The school is also proposing to apply to the Department for Education (DfE) to seek capital funding to establish the nursery provision from the DfE’s School-based Nursery Capital Grant. As part of this consolidated application, the school will also seek consent for a change in the age range to the school.

South Molton United C of E Primary School is planning on opening a twenty-eight place Nursery in a purpose-built classroom for two- and three-year-olds. The school-based Nursery will be separate from our Reception class and extend its existing popular and high-quality Early Years provision. The grant will ensure the internal and external spaces are fit for purpose, upgrading existing resources and adding an outdoor canopy to enable outdoor learning whatever the weather.

The proposal will not affect the net capacity of the school, or the PAN, or put pressure on classroom space for school-aged children.  The school was built with seven classrooms to enable a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 30, with an additional eighth classroom built for future nursery provision. The school has been using the eighth classroom for an additional bulge class, currently in Year 6, who will leave the school in July 2026. Predicted future in-area cohorts do not require the use of the additional classroom and therefore the Trust is now proposing to establish a Nursery Class.

Children whose parents meet the free school meal eligibility criteria and attend for the whole day will be entitled to a free school meal. There is no lower age limit. Parents will also be able to purchase a school meal for nursery children.

Parents would still need to make a separate application to Devon County Council for admission into the Reception class.

The Harbour Schools Partnership has a great deal of experience in relation to supporting academy nursery provision across its schools.

Process and Decision-making

The consultation period will run from 12^th November 2025 to 3^rd December 2025. Responses to this consultation will be considered by the School and The Harbour Schools Partnership Trust, who will then decide whether or not to make an application to the DfE School-based nursery grant for capital funding and to change the age range of the school.

It is the DfE who will make the final decision on the proposal to change the age range of the school and the capital funding.  The outcome of this consultation will form part of the application to the DfE. Please note that consultation responses will also therefore be shared with the DfE.

The Trust welcome responses on this proposal by the closing date of midnight on 3^rd December 2025 by:

Emailing: smups@thsp.org.uk please mark your email ‘Nursery Consultation’.

Or by writing to: South Molton United C of E Primary School, Exeter Road, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4EN.

All responses to the consultation will be considered and will be shared with the school’s leadership team, Board of Directors and Trustees. Responses will also be shared with the Department for Education as the decision-maker, but we will not send individual responses to any specific points made.

The Trust Privacy Notice can be found via this weblink: https://ventrus.org.uk/Privacy-Notices/