17 March 2021 Dear Parents I am pleased to respond to the recent article in the Winsford Guardian about the allocation of places at the Winsford Academy for September 2021. The Fallibroome Trust and Academy Governors are keen to meet the rising demand for places at The Academy and Mr Evans and I have supported affected families with advice about the independent appeal process. In addition we continue to work with Cheshire West and Chester Local Authority (the LA) to resolve the issue of capacity and are hopeful for a long-term solution. It is, however, important to clarify some misconceptions in the article: • The LA have responsibility for the allocation of new school places. This responsibility cannot be transferred to an individual school or admissions authority. • The LA hold the capital funding and determine the revenue formula that enables school expansion. • The capacity of the school has been confirmed as 1140, not the published 1500. This figure of 1140 does not account for operational challenges such as the very limited dining facilities and imbalance of open plan spaces. • We are happy to increase our admission number, but extra children need extra classrooms and teachers. I am sure the local community will understand that additional students require additional resources and will support our drive to access the funding required to meet demand. By so doing we will be able to maintain the standards that make the school attractive to the community. We continue to work with the LA to address the matter and are hopeful for an early resolution. Yours sincerely P W Rubery Chief Executive Officer Adlington Primary School | Broken Cross Primary Academy & Nursery | Eaton Bank Academy | Fallibroome Academy Gawsworth Primary School | Marlborough Primary School | Nether Alderley Primary School Upton Priory School | Whirley Primary School | Winsford Academy The Fallibroome Trust, Priory Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4AF Telephone: +44 (0) 1625 827 898 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.fallibroometrust.org.uk The Fallibroome Trust (Company number: 07346144). A company incorporated as private limited by guarantee. Registered Office situated in England and Wales .