Welcome to the

Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School

Information Sharing Event

Thursday 11th February, 2010

Overview of this event

• Short presentation

• Informal chance to look around the stalls, speak to people on a 1-2-1 basis, write your questions and comments on the board

• Q&A session where the main questions raised will be answered

Background

North Somerset Council has been working with the Governors and staff at Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School, The Diocese of Bath & Wells, and the Gordano Valley Methodist Circuit to consider how to address the issue of the likely shortage of school places in Portishead, and especially in and around the Village Quarter

Background

Following investigations, and having considered alternatives, the Council is now in a position to seek views of a proposed solution

What is being suggested?

North Somerset Council is proposing the following:

• that Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School is enlarged from a 210 place to a 420 place primary school from 1st September 2011

Why is the expansion needed?• Portishead has experienced, an continues to

experience considerable residential growth. Despite making extra school places available across Portishead, not everyone within the Town has been able to send their child(ren) to a local, Portishead school.

• We need a long term sustainable solution that meets the needs of local residents

• Phase 1 of the project included 7 classrooms and a hall, staff room, dining grounds etc. capable of accommodating up to 420 pupils.

• Phase 2 will provide another 7 classrooms

Admissions

• North Somerset Council strives to meet expressions of parental preference but due to the popularity of some schools, not all first preferences can be met.

• For the September, 2010 intake, 97% of parents/carers were allocated one of their preferred schools with 91% being offered their first preference.

Admissions• There were 284 on time applications for Portishead residents

seeking places in Schools in Portishead – Year R

• The are 300 Year R places across the 5 schools in Portishead with Foundation Classes.

• We must consider all parental preferences (parents may express up to 3 preferences) equally.

• If we are unable to offer parents their preferred school, then we would normally offer a place at the nearest school with a vacancy.

• By stating more than one preference, parents can maximise their chances of gaining a place at one of their preferred schools before other alternatives are offered by the Council.

• If an applicant (ie a local resident) were not to name a school and another applicant (ie non local resident) did name a school, then the Council must legally offer the school place to the resident who named the school (ie the non resident).

Projections• Predicted number of pupils for Reception class

intake in future years are calculated from Health data, based on proportion GP registered infants by postcode assigned to schools according to proportions historically admitted to each school

• Because of Class Size Regulations the North Somerset Council model for projections assumes ‘smoothing’ within cluster of schools, therefore reception intake not allowed to exceed stated admission limit agreed for each school, this number for Trinity is 30 children

• Roll-up of pupils through year groups based also on ‘in-year’ leavers and starters factors, from past trend

ProjectionsAdmission

NumberCapacity

Actual 2009

Predicted 2010

Predicted2011

Predicted 2012

Predicted 2013

High Down Infant 90 270 270 267 266 261 262

High Down Junior 90 360 361 356 354 351 353

Portishead Primary 60 420 412 413 415 415 419

St Joseph's RC Primary 30 210 212 211 211 212 212

St Peter's C of E Primary 60 420 387 387 402 423 428

Trinity Primary 30 210 177 181 206 223 237

Pupils without places Sept. 09 5

Plus estimated pupils without places 26 7

Carry forward no. pupils without places 5 5 31 31

Predicted number from new housing YR 9 11 13 15

Predicted number from new housing Yrs 1-6 50 64 78 90

Total Capacity 1890 1824 1879 1961 2006 2053

Likely Shortfall in School places 66 11* -71 -116 -163

*This surplus is across all year groups in schools (Years R to Year 6). Evidence shows that Year R (reception year) applications for September, 2010 show demand well above the number of places available and in response to this, the Authority has offered 30 more Reception Year places at Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School to reflect increased demand from the area of residential growth.

Why make changes now ?

• There are vacancies in some year groups across Portishead but evidence shows that demand for Year R places from September, 2010 onwards will exceed the number of actual places available.

• Despite making more school places available across all year groups, current demand in other year groups within Portishead exceed the number of places available.

What will happen to the children at Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School if the expansion is agreed?

• Trinity Anglican Methodist Primary School was designed to accommodate up to 420 pupils

• The site is large enough to enable pupils to remain on site whilst expansion work is being undertaken.

• Health and safety assessments will be undertaken continually throughout the programme to ensure that the safety, education provision and well-being of the pupils is maintained during the process

Admission Number• The School’s current admission number

is 30 pupils and if the proposals are progressed, the admission number will rise to 60 pupils from September, 2011

• The admission number for September, 2010 has been set at 60 pupils to enable the school to address the likely demand for extra places within the Village Quarter

• We would also like your views on how admissions to other year groups in the school could be managed.

What next ?

• The first stage of the consultation process will end at 4.00pm on Friday 8th March, 2010

• This event is part of that process

• Your comments are needed so that the Council can decide the way forward

What do you need to do now?

We want your views and questions. Please :

• speak to people at the stands

• write your comments and questions on the board