Early Years Change of Age Range Consultation

Summary of proposals

Proposed change of age range at Hawthorns Primary, Springfield Infant and Nursery, Brook Infant and Nursery, Maidenbower Infant and Nursery, and St Margaret’s CofE Primary, Ifield, and Slinfold CofE Primary and Preschool.

(Prescribed alteration to the age range to become a 2 – 11 primary, or 2 – 7 infant, school thereby regularising the Early Years age range. And in the case of Hawthorns Primary, prior to academisation, to allow the Governor run nursery to transfer with the school to the Schoolsworks Academy Trust).

Introduction

West Sussex County Council and the Governors of the listed schools wish to consult on a change of age range. The consultation runs from 2^nd November to the 30^th November 2023.

Need for change

The listed schools currently have Governor-led early years provision, run under Section 27 Community Powers.

Should these school convert to an Academy, conversion of the legal status of the school does not automatically include the early years provision. Whilst, aside from Hawthorns Primary, there is no intention to convert to an academy, this will ensure consistency across all schools in West Sussex and would avoid any delays in the future should the schools choose to move to an academy trust. The Department for Education has advised that a change of age range is required for any governor led early years provision to transfer with the school to become part of the academy trust.

The change would also ensure that the information held on the Department for Education ‘Get Information About Schools’ matches the age ranges catered for consistently, in line with other governor led provision.

The Governing Body of Hawthorns Primary agreed to convert to become an Academy under the Schoolsworks Academy Trust in June 2022. The Academy Order was agreed by the Department for Education on 25^th May 2023.

The proposals

WSCC and the Governors of each of the schools propose to increase the age range of the listed Primary Schools from age 4 - 11 (YR – Y6) to an age 2 -11 (Nursery – Y6), and Infant Schools from 4 – 7 (YR – Y2) to 2 – 7 (Nursery – Y2). This is with effect from January 2024. There is no planned change to the operation of the early years provision. The consultation is a requirement of the School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013.

It is proposed to extend the age range to the maximum allowed, in order to prevent further timely consultations in the future, should the schools wish to extend their Early Years provision to include 2-year-olds, where they do not already. Please note, there is no intention for the services currently provided by the schools to change because of this proposal.

Staffing

Staff are our most valuable resource, and it is important that should there be any need for changes these are dealt with fairly and sensitively. The unions and professional associations will be informed about this consultation and will be involved with the academization at each stage. This proposal will ensure that nursery staff at Hawthorns Primary transfer to the academy in the same way as teaching staff. Union involvement is designed to support all staff through the process of change.

For schools not changing to an academy, there will be no impact on current staff. The provision will continue to be governor led and not a maintained nursery class.

Statutory Notices

Consultation is with schools, parents and other key local and education stakeholders. The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills, Jacquie Russell, has decided to publish statutory notices to seek representations for a four-week period after initial informal consultation from 9 October 2023. This consultation is supported by the Diocese of Chichester in the case of Slinfold CE Primary, and St Margaret’s CE Primary, Ifield and by the Governors of the remaining Local Authority Schools. This document is part of the consultation and invites parents and stakeholders to make representations via our website or email. We anticipate the final decision to change the age range to be taken in January 2024 allowing Hawthorns to academize in February 2024 and any other schools listed.

Representations

If you would like to make a representation in response to the statutory notice then please email SOAD@westsussex.gov.uk or Vanessa Cummins at Vanessa.cummins@westsussex.gov.uk

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