12/1/2012 - Cabinet decide on future of primary schools

Cabinet have today (Thursday) made a decision to put forward proposals for changes to Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School and Kingmoor Junior School.

In order to provide additional reception places in the area as a result of the rising birth rate, it is necessary to expand both the Nursery and Infant School and the Junior School.

Following public consultation Cabinet have decided to publish proposals which would keep both schools separate and expand them to accommodate additional pupils rather than amalgamating the two into one all-through primary school.

It is now proposed that from September 2012 the Infant School will be able to admit an extra 15 pupils to its reception class and from September 2014 the Junior School will be able to admit an additional 15 Year 4 pupils to reflect the increased year group working through from 2012.

A report to Cabinet highlighted that only a very small minority of parents wanted amalgamation although 60 per cent backed expansion as separate schools.

The council will now invest around £1m to provide at least four more classrooms and ancillary facilities, allowing the schools to accept the additional pupils.

Councillor Duncan Fairbairn, Cabinet member for Schools and Learning said: “The numbers of children starting reception classes has increased by 44 per cent over the last seven years (2004-2011). In the past there has been sufficient space to accommodate this growth but our projections show that by September this year there will be a shortage of spaces in some of our schools.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for taking part in the consultation exercise.”

Changes to St Catherine's Catholic School, Penrith

Cabinet also decided today to put forward proposals to increase the number of reception places at Penrith’s St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School from 15 to 20.

This is as a result of increasing numbers of children living in Penrith and rising birth rates in the urban area.

The school building would require some modifications in order to accommodate the additional children.

The additional places created are for those starting in the reception class, although eventually this change will result in the total school roll potentially increasing by 35 over the next seven years. 

These decisions for the Carlisle schools and St Catherine’s in Penrith now trigger the beginning of a formal ‘representation period’ during which interested parties can submit their views on these proposals. Following the end of this period, Cabinet will make a decision on whether to implement the proposals. If the decision is to publish statutory proposals it is planned that a report seeking decisions will be presented to Cabinet on 15 March.

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