Langtree Community School & Nursery: Proposal to change the age range

Proposal
Devon County Council is consulting on a proposal to lower the age range of Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit from 3-11 to 2-11 years of age with effect from January 2024.

Background
The school currently has a Nursery Class for children aged between 3 and 4 years old. The proposal is to take two-year-olds as well from January 2024.

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

Changes to the age range of a Community School requires a statutory process to take place. This is a four stage process of consultation, representation, decision by the Local Authority and implementation.

Benefits of the proposal
By enabling children to start in the nursery at two-years-old will remove a transition point for some children. Those more disadvantaged children who are eligible for 2-year-old funding may currently go to different providers. They may then come back to the school at age 3 into the nursery or at 4 into 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 and identify children’s needs well before they start in the reception class.

Capital and Planning
It is confirmed that no capital is required to implement this proposal. Changing the age range will not affect the school’s net capacity or published admission number for school aged children and will not put pressure on existing classroom space.

Responding to the consultation
We welcome responses on this proposal by the closing date of 18 October 2023 either by:
Emailing: schoolconsultations@devon.gov.uk or by:
Post, to: Shona Meek, Strategic Planning – Children’s Services, Room 120, Devon County Council, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QG.

All responses to the consultation will be considered by Devon County Council and will be shared with the school’s leadership team and governors, unless you request otherwise.

The process
This consultation will run from 6 September 2023 to 18 October 2023. If it is agreed to proceed with the proposal following this consultation, then a formal 4 week representation period will be held inviting further comment or objection.

Devon County Council will consider all responses to the consultation and the formal representation period when making their decision.

The indicative timescale is likely be (assuming agreement to each stage):
Consultation: 6 September 2023 – 18 October 2023
Formal representation period: 1 November – 29 November 2023
Proposed implementation: January 2024

Please note that all responses will be properly considered by Devon County Council and the Governing Body, but we will not send individual responses to any specific points raised.

If you need this document in a different format or language, please contact the School Planning Team on 01392 382057 or via email: schoolconsultations@devon.gov.uk

• Consultation document Langtree