ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO DISCONTINUE ST. MARY’S C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Notice is hereby given in accordance with section 29(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 that Metropolitan Borough Council intends to discontinue Rawmarsh St Mary's CofE Primary School, New Street, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, South , S62 5AF with effect from 31 August 2007.

All current pupils in Reception through to Y5 will be allocated a place at an alternative school. This will be done by offering parents the chance to express up to 3 preferences and the preferences would be processed in the same way as any normal admissions transfer i.e. places would be allocated in accordance with the published admissions criteria for each school. There have only been a small number of preferences for Reception entry in September 2007. Parents who have made a preference have been contacted and offered the opportunity to make an alternative preference.

There are 8 other Primary Schools in Rawmarsh, all of which are within 1 mile of Rawmarsh St. Mary's C of E Primary School. The nearest Church of school is St. Thomas' C of E Primary (), Meadow View Road, Kilnhurst, S64 5UA, which is less than 2 miles away. Although there are sufficient places overall within Rawmarsh to accommodate all the children currently in attendance at St. Mary's, no single school has sufficient capacity to accommodate them all.

Free transport will be provided if the distance between home and the alternative school is more than 2 miles.

Withinth six weeks after the date of publication of these proposals (that is by 27 April, 2007), any person may object to or make comments on the proposals by sending the representations to:

Mr David Hill, Manager, School Organisation, Planning and Development, Children and Young People's Services, Norfolk House, Walker Place, Rotherham S65 1AS.

Within one month after the end of the representation period, the LEA will send to the School Organisation Committee for the area copies of all representations made (and not withdrawn in writing) within the representation period, together with the Authority`s observations on them.

It should be noted, however, that the abolition of School Organisation Committees is likely to come into effect during May 2007. If the Local Authority’s observations on any representations have not been considered by the SOC before its abolition, then the decision on this matter will be made by the Local Authority in line with the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

Signed: Sonia Sharp, Executive Director, Children & Young People’s Services

th Date: 16 March, 2007