Consultation on primary school expansions

Informal consultation

The Council has recently consulted on its Primary School Expansions Strategy, which will provide additional school places, on a permanent basis, to help meet forecast demand.

Read the Primary School Expansions Strategy(pdf, 319KB).

This document should be read in conjunction with, the Richmond upon Thames Primary Strategy for Change(pdf, 908KB), which was published in June 2008.

The Primary Strategy for Change outlined the high levels of demand for reception class places, how that demand was forecast to continue, and identified a number of schools as possible expansions to meet that demand.

This Expansions Strategy specifies the Authority’s preferred options for expansion, both temporary and permanent, and states reasons for those preferences. In selecting those preferences, we have been mindful of the need to consider: the condition and suitability of schools; the requirements of the Authority’s proposed SEN Strategy; and, above all, the patterns of demand for reception class places.

Cabinet approved the Strategy at its meeting on 23 February 2009.

Formal consultation

The next stage of the process involves formal consultation on documents known as 'statutory proposals'. These documents outline the detail of the school expansion proposals and give any interested parties a six-week period in which to make comment on, or objection to, the proposals. At the end of the period, any responses will be collated and presented to Cabinet, which will make the decision on the proposals in its role as the local decision-maker.

As the various school expansion projects are at different points in the process, statutory proposals will not be issued for all of them simultaneously. The first statutory proposals were issued in February 2009 for Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School and St Mary's and St Peter's Church of England Primary School.

Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School

The notice(pdf, 22KB) and full statutory proposal(pdf, 185KB) for the expansion of Holy Trinity to two-form entry are available to download. Cabinet approved the proposal at its meeting on 8 June 2009.

St Mary's and St Peter's Church of England Primary School

The notice(pdf, 22KB) and full statutory proposal(pdf, 176KB) for the expansion of St Mary's and St Peter's to three-form entry are available to download. Cabinet approved the proposal at its meeting on 8 June 2009.

Stanley Infant and Nursery and Stanley Junior Schools

A notice(pdf, 20KB) and full statutory proposal(pdf, 208KB) have been published to: close Stanley Infant and Nursery School on 31 August 2010, and to expand Stanley Junior School the following day. The expansion of the Junior School - to become 'Stanley Primary School' - would involve: its age-range being expanded downwards to incorporate the provision that is currently within the Infant and Nursery School; the number of children to be admitted each year to be increased from 90 to 120 (in order to meet the forecast additional demand for places in the local area); and a Children's Centre to be built.

Consultation on these proposals lasts from Friday 5 February to Friday 19 March.

More information

Any enquiries on the school expansions process, should be addressed to Matthew Paul, Deputy Head of Commissioning, Delivery and Service Improvement.

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Regal House
London Road
Twickenham
TW1 3QB

Email: m.paul@richmond.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8891 7588