Honiton Primary School: proposal to extend the age range from 3-11 to 2-11 years of age

If you need this document in a different format or language, please contact Devon County Council’s School Consultation Team on 01392 382057 or via email: schoolconsultations@devon.gov.uk

Proposal
Devon County Council, in partnership with Honiton Primary School, is consulting on a proposal to extend the age range of Honiton Primary School from 3-11 to 2-11 years of age, with an estimated implementation date of 22 April 2025.

Background
Honiton Primary School currently has a Nursery Class for children aged 3 and 4 years of age. The proposal is to extend the provision to also take 2 year olds. There is demand in the area for provision for 2 year olds and Devon County Council is projecting an increase in demand for early years places as a result of the Government’s increased childcare funding entitlements for working parents. The following changes to childcare funding for working parents are the key drivers for change:

• From April 2024, most working parents of 2-year-olds have been able to access 15 hours per week entitlement; this is in addition to the more disadvantaged families that will continue to get 15 hours a week of funded provision.
• From September 2024, most working parents of children aged 9 months up to 3-years-old can access 15 hours per week.
• From September 2025, most working parents of children aged 9 months up to when the child starts at school can access 30 hours funded childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year.

We envisage that this increase in provision will provide valuable support to the community.

Benefits of the proposal
The school would be able to establish the strongest links possible with families from the outset working to support them from a younger age. The school would be able to support more parents and carers in finding high quality, flexible provision in the local area and offer a wider parental choice. The school will be able to support children from 2 years old to develop the skills ready to start in the reception class. Being able to offer places from 2-years-old will provide greater consistency and continuity for children before starting at school and enable staff to make a more significant impact through earlier identification of their needs. By enabling children to start in the nursery at two-years-old a transition point for
some children will be removed. It is commonly accepted that when transitioning learning can be detrimentally impacted. Those more disadvantaged children who are eligible for 2-year-old funding will currently attend different providers, as will parents who need childcare so they can work. They may then come back to the school at age 3 into the nursery or at age 4 into the reception class.

Parents will still need to make a separate application to Devon County Council for a place in the reception class.

Process and Decision-making
A proposal to extend the age range of a Community school requires a statutory process to take place. This a four stage process consisting of a pre-publication consultation, a formal four week consultation period, decision by Devon County Council and implementation if the proposal is approved. This is the pre-publication consultation stage. The pre-publication consultation will close on 13 February 2025. Following the end of this consultation, Devon County Council will consider the responses received and make a decision as to whether or not to proceed to a formal consultation period on the proposal. Consultation responses will also be shared with the senior leadership team and governors of Honiton Primary School unless you request otherwise.

Indicative Timescale
Assuming there is agreement to each stage of the statutory process, an indicative timeline is detailed below.
1. Pre-publication consultation 16 January to 13 February 2025
2. Formal four week consultation representation period: 24 February to 24
March 2025
3. Decision by Devon County Council: March/April 2025
4. Proposed implementation, if proposal is approved: 22 April 2025.

Devon County Council will keep you informed via:
https://www.devon.gov.uk/haveyoursay/categories/education-and-schools/

Capital and planning
No capital funding or planning consent is required to implement this proposal. This proposal will not affect the Published Admission Number (PAN) for the school, nor the capacity for school aged children.

Responding to the consultation
This pre-publication consultation will run from 16 January to 13 February 2025. Devon County Council welcome responses on this proposal by the closing date. Please respond to Devon County Council, by either:

Email: schoolconsultations@devon.gov.uk

Or by writing to: Shona Meek, Senior School Organisation Officer, School Place Planning Team, Room 120, Devon County Council, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QG.

All responses to the consultation will be fully considered by Devon County Council and will be shared with the school’s leadership team and governors of Honiton Primary School but we will not send individual responses to any specific points made.

Please see Devon County Council’s Privacy Notice explaining how DCC process personal data https://www.devon.gov.uk/privacy/privacy-notices/privacynotice-for-representations-to-school-organisation-statutory-consultations