Consultation
Consultation on catchment area proposal: Atlantic Academy and Bideford College
From
09/11/2024
Until
10/01/2025
Athena Learning Trust is consulting on introducing a catchment area for Atlantic Academy. This will mean that the catchment area for Bideford College would be reduced.
Atlantic Academy does not currently operate a catchment area but a consultation is now running about the introduction of one. If the decision is made to introduce a catchment area, this does mean that the catchment area for Bideford College would be reduced.
As it stands, Bideford College’s catchment includes the northern part of Hartland’s area, Woolsery and the northern part of Parkham. By re-designating them to Atlantic Academy and extending the catchment to cover all of Parkham and Hartland’s catchments, this is how Atlantic Academy’s catchment area would look:
And this is how Bideford College’s catchment would look, without the Woolsery, Hartland or Parkham catchment areas as part of Bideford:
Under the proposals, Woolsery Primary, Parkham Primary and Hartland Primary School would all become feeder primaries for Atlantic Academy. Woolsery, Hartland and Parkham would no longer be feeders for Bideford College.
Parkham Primary will continue to be a feeder school for Great Torrington School: there is no proposal for that to change.
What would this mean for transport entitlement?
Children who are already passengers on school transport at the start of September 2026 will be unaffected. For new applicants, entitlement to free transport from Devon County Council on catchment school grounds would be according to the new catchment areas. Residents in the Hartland, Woolsery and Parkham areas would get free transport to Atlantic Academy rather than Bideford College. Residents of the southern part of the Parkham area will continue to get free transport to Great Torrington School.
In all cases, free transport on nearest school grounds or on low income grounds will be unaffected by changes to catchment areas.
For residents of the southern part of the Hartland area, the catchment school would be Atlantic Academy. This is also the closest school for transport purposes so the entitlement to free transport from Devon County Council will be unaffected.
How to respond to the consultation
The consultation will be open until the 10th of January 2025.
The Principal of Atlantic Academy and Bideford College would welcome your views on the catchment area proposal, by the closing date, which you can share here.
Any comments in relation to the provision of school transport should be sent to: schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk by the closing date.