Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/078

Contact: Barbara Chillman, Principal Officer – School Organisation & Planning Tel: (01865) 816459

Report by Director for Children, Education & Families (CA17).

Until recently Woodstock CE Primary School had planned to admit 30 children each year. Due to growth in the local population of young children, in recent years the school has received more applications from within the Woodstock catchment area than it has been able to accommodate.

Population data shows that this level of demand can be expected to continue. In addition, nearly 100 new homes are being, or have recently been built, close to the school, and this can be expected to increase demand for pupil places.

The proposal is to increase the school admission number (at F1 entry) from 30 to 45.  Because the published admission number for 2011 and 2012 has already been decided, the school's admission number can only now formally change from 2013. However, the school would like to accept over its official admission number in 2011 and 2012 to allow all in-catchment children to attend. The plan is therefore to accept up to 45 children into Reception (F1) from September 2011.

To accommodate this growth in pupil numbers, there will be some extension of the school’s buildings, and a feasibility study is underway to investigate how this can best be provided.  Some minor enabling works are already programmed to be carried out in the summer holiday 2011 at the school to extend the current Foundation room to ensure that the agreed 45 pupils may be accommodated from September 2011, as stated above.  

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the publication of a statutory notice for the expansion of Woodstock CE Primary School, Oxford.

Cabinet considered a proposal to increase the school admission number (at F1 entry) from 30 to 45 at Woodstock Primary School.

RESOLVED:             to approve the publication of a statutory notice for the expansion of Woodstock CE Primary School, Oxford.