Exclusive: Prime school site for sale?

A consultation is underway on plans to create a new primary school in south Norwich.

It would mean land at St Johns Infants, just off Earlham Road, would be sold off to help fund the move.

In a letter to parents, the Governing Body for both St Johns and St Thomas More Catholic Junior School is proposing a 420 place primary for pupils aged 4 to 11. The new school would use the existing buildings at St Thomas More, but would need some remodelling done to the site. Any new school would open by September 2012 at the earliest, eventually offering a two form entry.

In its favour, the school cites reasons such as greater continuity in curriculum and improving standards in teaching and learning across the school, arguing it’s easier to track children’s progress and attainment in one school.

Temporary classrooms would be needed during the transition period until the junior school reduced its intake from three forms to two, over a period of three years. If the merger went ahead, then the new school would eventually only need two extra classrooms to run as a primary school.

The Governing Body raise the possible disadvantages that there could be more traffic at the new school during the transition period and that there would be some short term disruption caused by building work on the site. The school emphasizes that no decisions have yet been made and none will be made until all views have been carefully considered.

The consultation period will end on 14th October, when the Governing Body will meet to consider the responses and whether to proceed further. The decision to proceed will have to be accepted or declined by Norfolk County Council.

Parents at the school are being asked for their comments on the proposals. A public meeting will be held on 20th September at 7.30pm at St John’s Catholic Infant School or 21st September at 7.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Junior School.

Tags: Earlham Road, Education, schools

One Comment to “Exclusive: Prime school site for sale?”