Southfield School Nursery 'Temporarily' Closed
No admissions for pre-schoolers for next two years
Children at Southfield Primary School
A campaign by parents at Southfield Primary School has failed to block a proposal to close the nursery.
However, the school has made a concession to demands that it remained open by saying that the closure, which takes place this September, will be temporary.
A consultation was held earlier this year after the school said there were just 16 enrolments for the nursery class at the school which made it unviable. The Governing Body also pointed out that the funding situation made it more challenging to provide a Nursery at the school. Parents argued that the availability of pre-school provision at the school had not been as well promoted as at other schools and that was the reason for the low uptake.
The Governing Body concluded, after reviewing the views of parents, that, with Nursery provision aims changing in the area and parents seeking more choice of hours and childcare options, Nursery provision would be withdrawn for a period of two academic years. It says this does not mean closing the provision permanently rather it is withdrawing it to look at various factors in the needs of the local area which now has many competing private nurseries.
The school is widely acknowledged to have made significant progress since the arrival of Dr Darren Jones as Headteacher. There has been a surge in Reception applications and oversubscription with a long waiting list this year.
Rob Huxford the Chair of Governors commented, ‘It’s fantastic seeing the progress at Southfield through the impact on the children's education, learning experience as well as the significant enrichment opportunities they get. It’s a real credit to all the staff at the school that are willing to go the extra mile for the children’.
Recently the children have taken part in a Jubilee Week and Healthy Schools Week culminating in a Sports Day at Southfield Park. The school have designed their very own bespoke Story based curriculum which has received positive feedback from the local authority and other educational visits.
The Head Boy stated that ‘At Southfield the curriculum allows you to grow socially, emotionally and academically. We gain lots of knowledge whilst still having fun. I love it here’.
The school says it is on course to deliver its highest phonics and Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs scores in its history. Emma Sharpe a parent and Governor states, ‘We are incredibly proud of the recent results which reflects both the commitment to getting the curriculum just right for our school, and the dedication, passion and dynamism of Dr Jones and his entire teaching team in bringing the curriculum to life. The results speak for itself but to hear about it and see it in action through happy and engaged children, is priceless.'
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June 19, 2022