New primary school for south Norwich
Governors from two Norwich faith schools have voted to amalgamate them – but not until September 2013.
The joint Governing Body for St Thomas More Junior and St John’s Roman Catholic Infant schools have decided to go ahead with plans to make the current junior school on Jessopp Road into a primary school, catering for children aged 4-11.
Around a hundred people attended public meetings organised by the Governing Body in September, as part of the consultation.
In a letter home to parents, the Governors state that: “a clear majority were in favour of the amalgamation. Parents generally agreed with the benefits of an all-through primary [...] especially the continuity of learning and pastoral care, the advantages of siblings being on one site and shared resources.”
Some concerns have been raised, particularly the possibility of reduced numbers of places for Catholic children, increased traffic problems in the area and the loss of the St John’s site on Heigham Road. In order to have time to address some of these issues, the Governors voted to delay the amalgamation until September 2013.
The Catholic Diocese has decided to spend time developing its strategy for planning Catholic school places across Norwich and Norfolk.
To address the issues of current and future traffic congestion and inconsiderate parking, the governors intend to invite representatives from interested groups to be involved in completing a suitable Travel Plan for the future.
The land at St John’s RC Infant School will be sold up to fund the move, which has also concerned some parents. In response the Governors said they: “Fully acknowledge that St John’s is a special place, built on a beautiful site, where young children are given an ‘outstanding’ start to their education. However, we strongly believe that everything that we love and strive for at St. John’s is transportable.”
The governors will ask the Local Authority to issue a public notice on their behalf after Christmas, stating the proposal to amalgamate in 2013. This will be followed by a six-week period of statutory representation, when everyone will have a further opportunity to participate in the process. The final decision will be made by the Cabinet in March 2012.
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