Hertfordshire council agree plans to cut places at four primary schools

The number of primary school places available across the county are to be cut by 105, from September 2025.

Currently The Grove Primary School, in Harpenden, can accept 90 pupils into their Reception classes.

But from September the number of places available will be cut to 60.

At Northfields Infants and Nursery School the number of places available will be cut from 60 to 30.

At Forres Primary School, in Hoddesden, Reception places will be cut from 45 tp 30.

And at Roger de Clare First School, Puckeridge, the umber of places available for new arrivals will reduce from 60 to 30.

The new admissions arrangements have been subject a period of public consultation.

And on Monday (February 12) they were agreed by a meeting of the county council’s cabinet.

Presenting the report papers to the cabinet executive member for education, libraries and lifelong learning Cllr Caroline Clapper pointed to the general decrease in primary age children.

“The main premise of this is to alter the admission numbers at our primary schools which are listed in the papers,” she said.

“This is due to the falling primary population that we are seeing – not just in Hertfordshire – but around the country.”

Referencing public consultation, she said people were “very much in favour” of the recommendations.

It would, she said, ensure schools didn’t take slightly over the number of children that they need or just slightly under. And so, she said, they can run their schools “most effectively”.

It was reported to councillors that although The Grove Infant School had ‘historically’ filled all 90 places, there had been a significant drop in the number of allocated pupils over the past two years.

It was reported that a reduction in the number of places at the school would provide a closer match between demand and availability.

And, according to the report, this would provide certainty for the school in terms of funding and financial viability.

The reduction in places has already been agreed by the school’s governing body. And of the nine responses received as part of the council;s consultation seven were in favour and two against.

In recent years it was reported that Northfields Infants and Nursery School, in Letchworth Garden City had not filled its 60 available places either.

And it was reported that pupil forecasts suggested that even by reducing the number of Reception places to 30, there would still be sufficient places available in the area.

The move is said to have been backed by both the headteacher and the governing body – and all three of the responses received as part of the public consultation.

According to the report the reduction would assist the school operationally and financially and it would create a better match between places and demand.

There are already plans to reduce the number of places at Forres School from 60 to 45 in September (2024).

But now it has been agreed that from next year (2025) places will be reduced further – to 30.

It was reported that current Reception allocations for the school are below 30.

And it is said that reducing the number of places would create a better match between places available and demand – as well as assisting the school organisationally and financially.

The governing body and the headteacher are said to have backed the proposal – which was also backed by the two responses received as part of the public consultation.

Meanwhile it ws reported that places at Roger De Clare First School were not currently full – and hat the governing body had indicated it wanted to reduce places available fro 60 to 30.

Council officers are said to be concerned that the reduction may leave to few places in the area – with the possibility of children not being able to obtain a place at a local school.

As a result councillors have agreed to officers’ suggestion that the number of places are reduced to 30 – but that the school agrees to accept additional places, if required to meet potential local demand.

In addition to the change in places at the four primary schools, councillors also agreed a change that would give children from the parish of Hexton some priority for admission to Pirton Primary School.

That’s because according to council proposals, Hexton JMI School has been earmarked for closure – and could close in April (2024).

According to the report:: “The nearest maintained Hertfordshire school to Hexton is Pirton Primary School.

“To provide an element of certainty for future applicants for primary

school places from the parish of Hexton, should Hexton JMI School close, it is proposed that the admission arrangements for Pirton Primary are amended to give specific priority for children living in the parish of Hexton.”

That would mean, should Pirton Primary be oversubscribed, children living in the parish of Hexton would get priority after those for whom it is the nearest school.

At the meeting, Cllr Clapper said Hexton JMI was a school that had to close because there were too few pupils on roll.

She said the change would ensure children from Hexton would have a local school to go to.

But she said officers had also made it clear that children local to Pirton would be “at absolutely no disadvantage” as a result.

According to the report to the cabinet, in 2023, 98 per cent of children were allocated a school that they had ‘ranked’ on their application.

And, it says, in the secondary sector 94 per cent of children were allocated a school ranked on their application.

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