Wolborough C of E Primary School – Consultation to change the age range

Introduction
Wolborough CofE Primary School is seeking to expand its current Nursery provision to include 2 year olds and this consultation sets out the proposal to implement this plan. In order to expand the current Nursery provision, it is necessary for the school to change the age range for which the school can cater for, from 3-11 years old to 2-11 years old.

This is an exciting opportunity that would enable the school to provide Early Education places to children aged 2, 3 and 4 years old prior to their entry to school.

The purpose of this consultation is to provide information about our proposal and seek the views of Wolborough families and the wider community.

Proposal
The proposed Nursery provision will be based in the Rundle room which is used for our Breakfast and After School Club room. There is ample space for up to approx. 28 children, including a large and secure outdoor area. The current facilities lend themselves to support the requirements of a Nursery, with only some refurbishment required. The Nursery children will have access to the school’s resources and facilities including the Library, Main Hall, playing spaces and the hall.

The curriculum, planning, provision and pupils’ progress will be overseen and line-managed by the school’s Senior Leadership Team. It is proposed that the changes will take affect from September 2025.

Reasons for expanding the existing nursery provision
Wolborough CofE Primary School is a single form entry primary school located on Union Street, Newton Abbot. In its last Ofsted inspection in 2019, Wolborough retained its ‘Good’ Ofsted grading from the last full inspection, which took place in June 2015. The Link Academy Trust Board of Directors and the Wolborough Senior Leadership Team believe that the expansion of the nursery class will benefit the children and families within our local community through the provision of high-quality affordable childcare and quality education for children from 2 years to 11 years, enabling families to use their Government Funded Early Education childcare entitlement at one setting without top-up fees.

Wolborough CofE Primary School wishes to contribute to and support the Government’s scheme to support more parents and family members returning to work after their parental leave ends. In addition, the benefits to the school, the children and the local community include:

 A more comprehensive transition from Nursery to Reception to support a smoother start to school life for our Reception children who currently join us from several different nurseries.
 Early identification of vulnerable families so that early help and support can be implemented more quickly.
 Early identification of SEND needs which can subsequently be addressed earlier and appropriate support put in place.
 A continuity of provision which reflects our vision and ethos.
 To better ensure a full cohort of 30 children in our Reception year, supporting the school financially, which in turn benefits the whole school community.
 Respond to expressions of interest in a Nursery from current and prospective families.
 Provide continuity of provision from 2 to 11 years for our families.
 Optimise the use of our facilities and capitalise on our expert knowledge of the early years’ foundation stage provision.
 Provide employment opportunities and continuing professional development for current staff.

Responding to the consultation & next steps
Wolborough CofE Primary School welcomes the support of the local community that it serves. This is an opportunity for parents, family members, staff and the local community who have an interest in the school to respond to the proposal.

The consultation period starts on Thursday 28th November 2024 and will end on Thursday 19th December 2024.

As Wolborough CofE Primary School is part of the Link Academy Trust, approval for this proposal is required from the Department of Education.

Please respond to mmatthew@thelink.academy