Formal Consultation: Proposed amalgamation of Tennyson Road Infant School and Alfred Street Junior School, Rushden

Overview

The Purpose of the Formal Consultation:

This formal consultation is about a proposed amalgamation of:

• Tennyson Road Infant School which provides education for children aged 3 to 7 years.
• Alfred Street Junior School which provides education for children aged 7 to 11 years.

Both schools:

• Are in Rushden on separate sites 0.7 miles apart.
• Are linked i.e. children from the Infant School complete their primary phase of education at the Junior School.
• Have community status.  This means that they are community schools, which are sometimes called Local Authority Maintained Schools.  They are not influenced by business or religious groups and follow the national curriculum.
• Currently have ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted ratings.

To address several financial and operational challenges at Alfred Street and Tennyson Road schools the Council was approached by the governing bodies from both schools to support an amalgamation.

Council officers support the request of the Governing Bodies and agree that the proposed amalgamation would be to the benefit of children in the local area. It would also seek to address financial concerns regarding the long-term viability of operating as two separate schools.

The Proposal

This consultation follows on from an initial consultation carried out between March 1^st and April 29^th 2022. This next phase of consultation seeks your views on the proposal to amalgamate Tennyson Road Infant School and Alfred Street Junior School, resulting in the formal closure of the Department for Education (DfE) number of Tennyson Road Infant School and expanding the age range of Alfred Street Junior School to provide education for children aged 3 (Nursery) to aged 11 (Year 6).

This proposal has no impact on the operation of the all-through primary school across the two existing sites. Any proposals to change how the school operates including changing the use of either site would be subject to appropriate further consultation. There will be no change to current arrangements regarding the provision of SEN places at the schools.

What is Amalgamation?

An amalgamation brings together, two (or more) Local Authority maintained schools as one school under single leadership and Governance arrangement. In this case, the proposed amalgamation is the merging of Tennyson Road Infant School and Alfred Street Junior School to create one all-through primary school.

The process would mean that in progressing with the amalgamation, it will be necessary to close one of the schools and expand the age range of the other school.  This will create an all-through primary and transfer the pupils to the roll of the amalgamated school.

A Steering Group has been set up in relation to the potential amalgamation of the Schools. The Steering Group is made up of Governors from both schools. From a school organisation perspective, it is necessary to decide which school will close. Following discussion with the Alfred Street/Tennyson Road Steering Group it has been proposed that Tennyson Road Infant School will be the school that is closed and the age range of Alfred Street Junior School expanded.

The closure of Tennyson Road Infant School is only a technical decision which will enable the amalgamation to go ahead. This does not prejudge that there will be a change of sites. It does not prejudge the name or staffing of the all-through primary school.

The proposal will mean closing the Department for Education (DfE) number of Tennyson Road Infant School.  This proposal has no impact on the operation of the all-through primary school across the two existing sites. Any proposals to change how the school operates including changing the use of either site would be subject to appropriate further consultation. There will be no change to current arrangements regarding the provision of SEN places at the schools.

It is important to note that all of the children currently in Tennyson Road Infant and Alfred Street Junior schools will automatically become pupils in the all-through primary school if the two schools amalgamate.

The Initial Consultation

An initial consultation took place over a period of 8 weeks from 1^st March to 29^th April.  The outcome of the initial consultation shows majority support for amalgamation of the Schools.

The initial consultation responses demonstrate that both schools are valued and have a long association with the local community, as well as a history of connectivity between both schools.   Where respondents indicated a preferred school and gave comment, this was led by their own affiliation to the school, whether that be a current connection i.e. a parent/carer or guardian or by way of a previous connection i.e. an ex pupil.

In the initial consultation 60% of respondents indicated that they supported the formal closure of one school and expansion of age range of the remaining school over the closure of both to allow the creation of an all-through primary school.

Overall respondents wanted to see an improvement of education opportunities for children, whether that be in relation to whole school performance or with regard to the improvement of assets and facilities.  They wanted to see the strengthening of learning for children.

Related Documents

Please see below documents related to the proposed amalgamation of the Schools:

• Report to Executive of 22 February 2022 (minute 165 refers)
• Agenda for Executive on Thursday 25th August, 2022, 2.00 pm - North Northamptonshire Council (moderngov.co.uk) This link will take you to the outcome of the Executive Council meeting held on 25^th August 2022, and includes a summary of the initial consultation feedback.  Please scroll down to Item 15.
• Statutory Notice

Documentation issued by the DfE as follows:

• Opening and closing maintained schools guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)
• Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools (publishing.service.gov.uk)
• Education and Inspections Act 2006 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Tennyson Road Infant School Section 5 Inspection Report November 2018 50042343 (ofsted.gov.uk)
• Alfred Street Junior School Section 5 Inspection Report December 2019 50143506 (ofsted.gov.uk)

Further information is available on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Timetable and Next Steps

Have your say

Please tell us your views by completing this questionnaire. All views submitted during the representation period will be considered, including all support for, objections to, and comments on the proposal.

Your feedback will be part of a report with many other people’s feedback, so you will not be personally identified.

You can also access this online questionnaire free of charge at any North Northamptonshire Council library. Customers are asked to check the opening times of the library you wish to visit and book an appointment in advance. Please see the Library website or telephone 0300 126 3000 to check times and make a booking.

Alternatively, you can email or send your comments in by post using the contact details below.

If you have any queries, comments or would like a copy of this questionnaire in another format (including paper, easy read or large print) please contact us.

Email address: lseadmin.ncc@northnorthants.gov.uk 

Postal address:

• North Northamptonshire Council
• Consultation: Tennyson Road Infant School and Alfred Street Primary School
• Sheerness House
• 41 Meadow Road
• Kettering
• NN16 8TL

This consultation will run from Monday 5 September 2022 to midnight on Sunday 2 October 2022.

Thank you for helping us by completing this questionnaire.

For information about how consultation and engagement responses are managed, please see the consultation and engagement privacy notice.