One of the biggest ever school restructuring projects in Britain is a step closer after Northamptonshire County Council councillors backed detailed plans to transform schooling in Northampton.


Up to 30,000 pupils and 75 schools will be affected by the transformation from a three-tier to a two-tier school structure which is aimed at improving education in the town and will go hand in hand with a massive £100m cash injection into the town’s schools.


At a special meeting of the full council on Monday and Tuesday this week councillors voted for a series of detailed changes to schools throughout the town. This will see many existing lower schools become new primary schools, upper schools being transformed into secondary schools, four middle schools will become primary schools, some will become part of secondary sites and a handful will close.


Cabinet member for education Olwen Loud said: “This is one of the most important decisions ever taken by this council and the changes will ensure we succeed in our drive to maintain improvements in education in the town.


“We have carried out the largest school consultation exercise ever undertaken by the council to come up with the best possible way of making these changes. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver a 21st century education system for this town and one that should not be missed.”


During the two-day meeting councillors heard how the proposals had been drafted in partnership with parents, staff and governors in a massive consultation exercise which started in 2000 and consisted of hundreds of meetings with interested parties throughout the town. Because of these extensive consultations the final set of proposals were warmly received by the overwhelming majority of schools, parents, teaching staff and governors.



Plans receiving particular praise at the meeting included a new City Academy at the site of Lings Upper site. This would be funded directly by central Government with the help of a community or business sponsor and would be one of only 20 in the country.


A new school at Vale Mead Primary School at Goldings and proposals to keep open St John the Baptist in Kingsthorpe, St Luke’s at Duston and Great Billing Lower Schools were also given strong support by the schools and public.



The proposals will also see the development of a Learning Discovery Centre in the town which will aide learning through state-of-the-art technology and will benefit schools across the whole county – not only in Northampton.


A £100m cash injection into school buildings throughout the town partly funded by the Government’s Private Finance Initiative is also part of the plans.


Cllr Loud said: “Because of some of the concerns raised we have done everything we can to maximise continuity. This includes making sure primary schools are to be developed from lowers, secondaries from uppers, and that the proposals are based around existing staff and governor teams and the location of school buildings.”


Now the council has voted in favour of the plans legal Statutory Notices are to be published outlining to the public exactly what changes will be made and where.


Here is a full list of all the proposed changes to schools on an area to area basis – please note the only change resulting from the full council meeting concerns Military Road Lower School, Trinity area where admissions have changed from 60 to 45.


Duston Area

Eldean Lower – to become primary with 60 admissions a year


Hopping Hill Lower – to become primary with 45 admissions a year


Lyncrest Lower – to become primary with 30 admissions a year


Chiltern Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


St Luke’s CE Lower – to remain open with 30 admissions a year until relocation to new schools on St Crispin’s site


Millway Middle – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Ryelands Middle – close


Duston Upper - to a secondary school with 270 admissions a year


Mereway Area

East Hunsbury Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Simon de Senils - to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Hunsbury Park Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Briar Hill Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Queen Eleanor Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Mereway Lower – to become a primary with 45 admissions a year


Delapre Middle – remodel of current school to become a primary with 60 primary pupils a year


Mereway Middle – close


Mereway Upper – to become a secondary school with 270 admissions a year


Weston Favell Area


Arbours Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Eastfield Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Cedar Road Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Booth Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Headlands Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions year


Abington Vale Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Weston Favell CE Lower - relocate to Cherry Orchard alone to become a primary with 45 pupils per year


Abington Vale Middle – new build to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Boothville Middle – close


Cherry Orchard Middle – close


Weston Favell Upper – to become a secondary school with 270 admissions a year


Kingsthorpe Area

Parklands Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Whitehills Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Kingsthorpe Gv Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Sunnyside Lower – to become a primary with 45 admissions a year


Green Oaks Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


St John the Baptist CE Lower – remain open as a community school with 30 pupils per year


All Saints CE Middle – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Parklands Middle – close


Kingsthorpe Middle – Site and buildings remain open as part of Kingsthorpe Community College


Kingsthorpe Community College – to become secondary school with 270 pupils per year also using Kingsthorpe Middle site.


Trinity Area

Spring Lane Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Vernon Terrace Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Kingsley Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Gladstone Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Kings Heath Lower – to become a primary with 45 admissions a year


Military Road Lower - relocated to St George’s as a primary with 45 admissions a year


Barry Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Stimpson Avenue Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


St James’ Lower – relocating to Spencer as a primary with 60 admissions a year


St Paul’s Lower – close


Spencer Middle – close


Cliftonville Middle – close


Kingsley Park Middle – close


Trinity Upper – become C of E voluntary aided status with 240 admissions a year


Lings Area

Bellinge Lower – to become a primary school with 30 admissions a year


Great Billing CE Lower – remain open and relocate to Ecton Brook Lower site as a primary with 30 admissions a year


Ecton Brook Lower – relocate to Ecton Brook Middle site as a primary with 45 pupils a year


Vale Mead Lower - relocate to Goldings Middle site as a primary into a new building to take 60 pupils a year


Blackthorn Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


Rectory Farm Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Lings Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Lumbertubs Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Thorplands Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year


Standens Barn Lower – to become a primary with 45 admissions a year


Goldings Middle – close


Blackthorn Middle – close


Ecton Brook Middle – close


Emmanuel Middle – close


Lings Upper – to become a city academy with 240 admissions a year and staying on its current site


Single Sex Provision

Northampton School for Boys – become a secondary with 210 admissions a year


Northampton School for Girls – become a secondary with 270 admissions a year


Catholic Schools

Thomas Becket Catholic Upper – become a secondary with 180 admissions a year


The Good Shepherd Catholic Lower – become a primary with 60 admissions a year


St David’s Catholic Middle – close


St Gregory’s Catholic Lower – to become a primary with 60 admissions a year


St Mary’s Catholic Middle – close


St Mary’s Catholic Lower – to become a primary with 30 admissions a year



NEXT STEPS FOR CHANGE

There is a series of complicated steps and legal procedures to go through before Northamptonshire County Council’s proposals can be fully implemented.


By the end of February a two-month public notice period will start. Objections and statements of support for the plans can be raised at this time. All the proposals will be considered by the School Organisation Committee in June.


This committee is made up of six groups – the Learning and Skills Council, the county council, borough and district councils, the churches and governors. Each of these is made up of several representatives but each group only has one vote which all representatives must be agreed on. If all votes are unanimous the proposals will be finally approved or rejected. If there is any division the matter will be referred to the Schools’ Adjudicator.


September 2003 is the earliest date for beginning to implement the changes if they are approved. At this stage lower schools which are set to become primary schools will keep their nine-year-olds (year five) instead of them leaving for middle schools. The middle school will operate throughout the school year with just three year groups. Upper schools will remain unchanged.


In September 2004 lower schools will continue to grow by retaining their nine and ten-year-olds (years five and six) and therefore becoming primary schools. It is at this stage all middle schools will either close or take on a new role as either a primary or part of a secondary school.


It is possible at this stage some middle schools may be used as temporary accommodation while building work is completed at the sites earmarked as the permanent schools.


September 2006 is the anticipated build completion date for all new school sites meaning the new system will be fully in place.