ANNEX D NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR WESTERN EXPANSION AREA A Public Consultation – 4 December 2006 to 12 February 2007 Introduction The Western Expansion Area is going to be developed over the next few years as a very substantial urban addition to Milton Keynes in the area to the west of Crownhill, Fullers Slade, Grange Farm, Great Holm, Kiln Farm and Two Mile Ash and to the south of Stony Stratford. In total, there will be some 6,500 dwellings and an eventual population that could be equal to that of Stony Stratford, Wolverton and New Bradwell combined. Put another way, the plans will see the effective development of a new town of the size of Buckingham and Winslow combined. It is expected that there will be sufficient demand for school places to require four new primary schools in total as well as a new secondary school just to serve this area. This consultation is the first step on the path to establishing the first two new primary schools. The other two schools will be subject to a later consultation. What is the current provision available? Primary schools within a safe and reasonable walking distance of each of the proposed school sites are as follows. (For the purposes of this document, only schools to the west of the A5 trunk road and north of or bordering Childs Way, H6, are included.) Ashbrook School (ages 4-7, serving mainly Two Mile Ash) Christ the Sower Ecumenical Primary School (ages 3-11, serving mainly Grange Farm, Oakhill and Medbourne) Glastonbury Thorn School (ages 4-7, serving mainly Shenley Church End and southern Crownhill) Holmwood School (ages 4-7, serving mainly Great Holm and northern Crownhill) Long Meadow Primary School (ages 4-11, serving mainly Shenley Brook End and Westcroft) Loughton Manor School (ages 3-7, serving mainly Loughton and part of Great Holm) Loughton School (ages 7-11, serving Loughton and Shenley Church End and part of Crownhill) Oxley Park Primary School (ages 4-11, serving mainly Kingsmead and Oxley Park) Queen Eleanor Primary School (ages 3-11, serving mainly Galley Hill, Fullers Slade and part of Stony Stratford) Russell Street School (ages 3-7, serving mainly Stony Stratford and the village of Calverton) St Mary and St Giles Church of England Junior School (ages 7-11, serving mainly Stony Stratford and the village of Calverton) Two Mile Ash (ages 7-11, serving mainly Two Mile Ash and parts of Great Holm and Crownhill) Between them, the schools that admit pupils at 4+ to National Curriculum Year R had 36 net places available after admissions to the reception class, in September 2006. However, whilst there may be some capacity in established schools in existing nearby areas close to new housing that will be built, the area is also close to the still-expanding west flank areas to the south, where demand for pupil places has yet to reach its peak. Furthermore, there are plans for development in Wolverton to the north and these will also create substantial additional demands for school places. Experience in Milton Keynes over the last four decades shows that peaks of demand for school places tend to last for a number of years. Existing schools, therefore, are only able to support newly developed areas for a relatively short time before demand for places outgrows availability. However, it has proved necessary to manage carefully the number of places made available when a new school first opens in order to ensure that neighbouring existing schools are not faced with the sudden departure of numbers of pupils moving at times which can be highly disruptive to their educational progress. In addition, the Council believes that it is important for the development and cohesion of new communities that primary schools, with integrated nursery education and child care and the facility to provide extended services, are opened as soon as possible for the earliest residents who occupy their new homes in the area to be served by each school. What are the planned developments for the area? In the new area to the south of Calverton Lane, to the west of Watling Street and to the north of Crownhill and Grange Farm, the completion of some 400 homes is expected by April 2009 with a further 400 being completed each year over the subsequent ten years. In the area to the north of Calverton Lane, south of Stony Stratford and west of Kiln Farm and Fullers Slade, the completion of some 200 homes is expected by April 2010 with a further 200 each year over the subsequent years. Across both areas, around 6,550 new dwellings are planned. Milton Keynes Council plans school places on the expectation that this number of new homes will require, over time, the development of four new primary schools with 420 pupils aged 4-11 (60 per admission group) and one new secondary school with up to 1500 pupils aged 11-18 (240 per admission group, with 300 places for post-16 or sixth-form education). Each new primary school would, in addition, have provision for a nursery class for children aged 3+. Nursery education is currently 12½ hours per week but is expected to increase to at least 15 hours per week, and the provision will enable integrated nursery and childcare arrangements. Milton Keynes Council already operates a policy under which children may enter the Reception class of school in the September following their fourth birthday. The Proposals As part of the planned provision of new schools in the Western Expansion Area Milton Keynes Council is proposing to build two new community primary schools in the areas described above. The provisional details of the schools are as follows (names of the schools will be determined later by the governing bodies, when established): Schools: Western Expansion Area Primary School 1 (located on a site identified as such in the Outline Planning Application for Fairfield Areas 10.1-10.3 approximately 500 metres south-west of Shenleyhill Farm) Western Expansion Area Primary School 2 (located on a site identified as such in the Outline Planning Application for Fairfield Areas 10.1-10.3 adjacent to Calverton Lane approximately 450 metres from its junction with V4 Watling Street) Age Range: 3 to 11 years (to include a nursery class which will enable integrated nursery education and childcare for pupils aged 3-4 years) Dates of Opening: Currently planned as follows, depending on housing development, school capital funding and project progress: Primary School 1 - September 2009 Primary School 2 - September 2010 Size: 420 places plus 30 places in the nursery class (providing integrated nursery education and child care) Sites: As indicated above Area Served: The Western Expansion Area to the south of Calverton Lane. (Over time, as development proceeds, the area served by each school is likely to be defined more closely. This will be subject to consultation. Furthermore, a third primary school in this area is also planned, with a fourth in the area to the north of Calverton Lane. Consultations on these schools, probably not needed until 2012-2014, will happen at a later stage.) Admission Number: 60 for each school (60 will be the number of pupils admitted to the youngest year group when the area of each school is fully developed. When new schools first open, it is usual practice for the number admitted to the admission year group to be restricted to thirty or fewer until such time as demand increases beyond that from within the school’s area.) The schools will be built and organised within the framework and age ranges of schools in the area. Subject to this consultation, the Council will publish statutory notices. If you wish to comment now on these proposals, please complete the attached response form and return it by 12 February 2007 to: Marie Edens Senior Education Officer School Organisation and Planning Learning and Development Directorate Milton Keynes Council Saxon Court 502 Avebury Boulevard Central Milton Keynes MK9 3HS Thank you. David Gamble Group Director, School Improvement and Planning Milton Keynes Council 4 December 2006 CONSULTATION RESPONSE FORM PROPOSED NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR THE WESTERN EXPANSION AREA Please return to: Marie Edens Senior Education Officer, School Organisation and Planning Learning and Development Directorate Milton Keynes Council Saxon Court 502 Avebury Boulevard Central Milton Keynes, MK9 3HS Name: ........................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................ Post Code ...................................................................................... Age(s) of Child(ren) ........................................................................................................ School/Nursery/Other Establishment Child(ren) currently attending ........................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................ For monitoring purposes, please state where you obtained this copy of the consultation document. ........................................................................................................ I support the proposals to build two new primary schools in the Western Expansion Area: Yes / No I have the following reasons for this view: Other comments PLEASE RETURN BY 12 FEBRUARY 2007 .