Decision details

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1)    Consider the responses from the consultation based on the proposals set out;

2)    Approve the closure of the Grange Park Infant and Nursery school, and the proposal by the Governing Board of the Junior school to extend their age range, to amalgamate Grange Park Infant and Nursery and Grange Park Junior Schools from September 2025.

Reasons for decision

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education presented a report following a consultation on the proposal to amalgamate Grange Park Junior School and Grange Park Nursery and Infant School into a single foundation primary school. The proposal aimed to merge the two schools into one, catering to children aged three to eleven, starting from September 1, 2025.

This initiative was prompted by the retirement of the head teacher and since the summer of 2024, both schools had been discussing the amalgamation proposal. It was advised that the Select Committee reviewed the matter in March 2025 and noted that the majority of consultation responses were positive.

The Cabinet Member explained that the term "school closure" used in the proposal, was as per the Department for Education and Ofsted's statutory guidance, which meant that whilst one school would formally close, there would be no changes to the school's physical infrastructure. The combined school would operate with the same pupil numbers and be inspected as a single entity.

The Cabinet was asked to consider the consultation responses and approve the closure of Grange Park Nursery and Infant School, with the Junior School extending its age range to form a unified primary school from September 2025.

The Leader of the Council emphasised that, for accounting purposes, one school would cease to exist, but all facilities, services, staff, and funding would transfer to the remaining school, effectively making it an amalgamation.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The alternative options considered and rejected included not amalgamating the two schools and instead recruiting a new permanent Headteacher for Grange Park Infant School, which would not support financial security or align with the Council’s amalgamation policy. Other options were to delay the amalgamation to January, April, or September 2026, which would have caused unnecessary delay and additional expenditure, or to close both schools and open a new primary school, creating greater uncertainty for families, children, and staff.