Public Consultation A proposal to join Rothwell Haigh Road Infant School with Rothwell Victoria Junior School to create a single 'all-through' ...

Public Consultation

A proposal to join Rothwell Haigh Road
  Infant School with Rothwell Victoria
 Junior School to create a single ‘all-
 through’ Primary School for children
             aged 3 to 11

        From September 2019

What is being proposed?

Leeds City Council is proposing that Rothwell Haigh Road
Infant School and Rothwell Victoria Junior School be joined
together (amalgamated) to create an all-through primary school
for children aged 3 to 11. The school would have an admission
limit of 45 children each year (1.5 forms of entry) and would be
located across both existing school sites. The proposal would
require the following to happen:

      Formally closing Rothwell Haigh Road Infant School as
       a separate school; and
      Lowering the age range of Rothwell Victoria Junior
       School from 7 -11 years to 3-11 years of age

The resulting all-through primary school would operate across
the two existing school sites, and it is expected that nursery,
reception and key- stage one classes would remain on one site,
and key stage two classes would be on the other, although the
organisation of classes is something that would be confirmed at
a later date.

Background

Haigh Road Infant School is a community infant school located
in Rothwell that admits pupils aged 3 to 7 years of age. The
school has an admission limit of 45 children into Reception
class each year.

Victoria Junior School is a community junior school also located
in Rothwell that admits pupils aged 7 to 11 years of age. The
school also has an admission limit of 45 children into Year 3
each year. Pupils can transfer from Haigh Road Infant School

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to Victoria Junior School at age 7 by application through Leeds
City Council’s annual admissions cycle.
In October 2018 Ofsted inspected Haigh Road Infant School
and judged its overall effectiveness to be ‘Inadequate’. Areas of
concern identified in the inspection report included:

   Leaders having failed to ensure that arrangements to
    safeguard pupils are effective;

   Leaders’ actions to sustain the good quality of teaching and
    learning and pupils’ outcomes, evident at the last inspection,
    have not been effective. As a result, both aspects have
    declined;

   Leaders’ plans for improvement have not sufficiently
    focused on improving pupils’ outcomes and have not
    addressed key areas for improvement identified at the last
    Ofsted inspection

The LA also recognises the strengths that were highlighted in
the Ofsted inspection report and has formed a plan that would
allow staff to build on those strengths with support from the
Local Authority. However, the ‘Inadequate’ judgment has
resulted in the Department for Education issuing an Academy
Order meaning that it would then be run by a sponsor who
would make all future decisions relating to staffing, curriculum,
organisation etc. Given the exceptional circumstances of the
very close relationship between the Infant and Junior school the
Local Authority believes that this proposal to amalgamate would
offer a more appropriate solution.

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What are the reasons for the proposal?

The technical closure of Haigh Road Infant School and a
change in the age range of Victoria Junior School would result
in the creation of a single all-through primary school with a
‘Good’ Ofsted rating.

Ultimately, through the continuity of Victoria Junior Schools’
leadership following the amalgamation process, the aim of the
proposal is to raise standards and improve outcomes for all
pupils currently attending both the infant and junior schools and
for all future pupils.

Creating an all-through primary school may also offer some
additional benefits to pupils, parents and staff. These include:

      Primary schools allow children to experience the same
       culture and ethos across each key stage;
      More time to develop and nurture relationships between
       teachers, staff and pupils;
      Developed pastoral support;
      Support for children with increased social, emotional and
       mental health needs as there is less disruption and
       change;
      Children and young people can benefit from the
       leadership and mentoring of older children;
      Consistency of teaching and learning practice through all
       seven years of education;
      More coherent curriculum delivery through longer term
       planning across key stages;
      Consistency of pupil assessment leading to improved
       learning and progress by teachers across key stages;

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   Consistency for parents – i.e. understanding a single
           schools’ ethos, values, policies, and long term planning;
          Ability to manage a bigger overall budget and staff,
           providing economies of scale, giving more flexibility to
           share resources, and potentially enhancing stability in
           overall staffing levels;
          Continuity of staffing and support arrangements which
           will improve transition across year groups for families
           with additional needs, including those with children with
           SEN/D

    What is the reason for holding a consultation?

    Consultations help us to understand what people think. It’s
    important that you share your views with us as this will help the
    council decide whether or not we should take this proposal to
    the next stage.

    The consultation process

    This consultation will run for 6 weeks until 24 March 2019.
    During this time parents and carers, staff, governors, pupils,
    local residents and anyone with an interest can share their
    views about the proposal with us.

    At this stage we are asking you to tell us:

   Whether you agree or disagree with the proposals; and
   What are the reasons for those views

    Your views about the proposal will be summarised in a report,
    and considered by Leeds City Council’s Executive Board.
    Executive Board as the decision maker will then decide whether
    or not the proposal can continue to the next stage. If agreement
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was given, a statutory notice would be published along with the
details of the proposal. That would mark the start of a four week
‘representation period’ and during that time any person could
send formal comments to the Local Authority.

Following the end of the representation period any objections
or comments would be reported to Executive Board who would
then make a final decision on whether or not the proposals
should be agreed.

How to find out more

We are holding community drop-in sessions so that
parents/carers, local residents and anyone with an interest can
come along to find out more about the proposals, ask questions
and share their views with us. Please come along to one or
more of the sessions below.

Separate drop-in sessions will be held at each school on the
following dates and times:

 School                       Date         Time
 Haigh Road Infant School     8 March      2:45pm until 4:15pm
 Haigh Road Infant School     12 March     8:30am until 10am
 Victoria Junior School       6 March      9am until 10:30am
 Victoria Junior School       15 March     3:30pm until 6:30pm

How to tell us what you think

You can respond to the consultation by using our on-line survey
which is on our website:

www.leeds.gov.uk/schoolplaceconsultations

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If you prefer, you can write to us or email your comments via
the contact details below. As long as responses get to us by 24
March they'll be included.

Email:
educ.school.organisation@leeds.gov.uk

Post:
PO Box 837
Sufficiency and Participation Team
Leeds City Council
Leeds
LS1 9PZ

If you have any questions, would like to receive more
information by post, or would like a large print or braille copy of
this leaflet, please contact us and we’ll do our best to help.

If you do not speak English and need help understanding this
leaflet, you or a friend can telephone 0113 3785945. We’ll then
contact an interpreter. There is no charge to you for this service.

Explanation of terms

Executive Board - The decision making body of Leeds City
Council, formed by the Leader of the Council and nine other
executive Members. Representatives of all political parties
attend Executive Board.

Representation Period - A period of time required by law to
inform the public that the local authority is proposing to do or
change something. The statutory notice is published with the
proposal details, and invites comments. It follows a period of
consultation like this one.
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