Wednesday 6 June 2012

Plans to expand Alfred Sutton and Newtown

Following on from questions from residents here is some more information about plans to expand Alfred Sutton and Newtown primary schools. Let me know what you think.

"Dear Cllr White,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the planned expansions of Alfred Sutton Primary School and New Town Primary School. We are currently looking to expand both schools with an additional intake of 30 Reception pupils at each school.

At Alfred Sutton Primary we are looking to install a 30 place modular building designed specifically for nursery aged children, on the playing field next to the school with the modular building aligned with the school’s current nursery and reception area. Boundary fence lines will be moved to incorporate the modular building and a specific external play area for the building will be included. The school will then be able to decant their nursery class into the modular building allowing the new Reception class to sit alongside their other two original reception classes. The modular classroom is due to be installed over the summer holidays ready for September’s intake.

At New Town Primary we are going to be moving one of the school’s Year 1 classes upstairs to a spare classroom within the main school building. This will free up a classroom downstairs which leads out directly on to the current external Foundation play area. The classroom will be renovated with a new set of Reception toilets and a disabled toilet will be added within the ground floor of the school’s more Easterly building in preparation of moving the school’s reception area next year.

The modifications will be made over the summer holidays ready for the new school year in September.

I do not have finalised plans to be able to send you just at this time, but hope to have them fully signed off ready for a series of open afternoons we are arranging with each of the expansion schools. We will be sending out letters to parents and local residents surrounding the schools by the end of the week inviting them to an open afternoon/evening to discuss the plans and any queries they have. Alfred Sutton’s open afternoon is scheduled for 4th July 3pm-7pm and New Town’s will be on 26th June 3pm-7pm. We will also send you a copy of the letter later this week.

Kindest Regards"

4 comments:

Factual_books said...

This is just a one year solution though? Will we need another set "bulge" classes in 2013 or 2014?

Rob White said...

Yes, you are correct. The Council are currently analysing the data to determine if this is a one-off bulge or a trend. If it is identified as a trend then the Council will have to look at permanently expanding some schools in the area.

Factual_books said...

I suspect it will take some analysis, but the nearest proxy I could find was a BBC article which shows births in the Royal Berks Trust rose by about 3% from 2007 to 2011.

I understand not all of these will fall into Reading and people will move away, but think there is potentially a problem.

Rob White said...

Yes, the Council is broadening its basket of indicators.