School merger plans: add your views
Two public meetings are being held next week, giving people in south Norwich a chance to have their say on plans to combine two local Catholic schools.
Traffic congestion is one of the issues that’s been raised, if the merger goes ahead.
The Governing Body for both St John’s RC Infants and the Catholic junior school, St Thomas More, is proposing a 420 place primary for pupils aged 4 to 11. The new school would use the existing buildings at St Thomas More on Jessopp Road, 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. Land at St Johns Infants, just off Earlham Road, would be sold off to help fund the move.
More traffic, during the transition period, has been raised as a possible disadvantage and there would be some short term disruption caused by building work on the site.
The Governing Body 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.
Two public meetings will be held next week: on Tuesday 20th September at 7.30pm at St John’s Catholic Infant School or Wednesday 21st September at 7.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Junior School.
One Comment to “School merger plans: add your views”
Comment
This might be the only way that the schools can survive. Maybe short term disruption will lead to long term benefits. But it will be hard on the first pupils who have to break the school in for following years.