Ravensmere Infant School Consultation
Consultation on proposal to re-locate Ravensmere Infant School from the site at St Benedict’s Road, Beccles to The Albert Pye Community Primary School at Frederick’s Road, Beccles from 01 September 2024
Our Proposal
The Active Learning Trust would like to hear your views on our proposal to re-locate the education provision at Ravensmere Infant School, St Benedict’s Road, Beccles, NR34 9DE to The Albert Pye Community Primary School, Frederick’s Road, Beccles, NR34 9UL.
We are looking to enhance the educational experience for pupils and staff at both schools by locating the education provision on one site. The schools are currently federated (The Albert Pye and Ravensmere Schools Federation) and share staff between the two schools, including key leadership positions. There is a single governing body responsible for both schools.
Ravensmere Infant School has a published admission number (PAN) of 20 for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and a total capacity of 60 children at the current site. This means children are taught in mixed year group classes in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. The Ravensmere site does not have a playing field and there is no land available next to the school that could be purchased to create any additional outdoor space.
The Albert Pye Community Primary School has a PAN of 40 in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and a PAN of 60 for Year 3 to Year 6. This means children are also taught in mixed year group classes at Albert Pye in Key Stage 1 (Reception to Year 2). Classes in Key Stage 2 (Year 3 to 6) are taught by year group. Mixing classes is something we would always try and avoid where possible, however it is not currently possible to avoid this in either school.
Many Ravensmere pupils attend nursery at The Albert Pye Community Primary school before going to Ravensmere. The majority of Ravensmere Infant School pupils move to The Albert Pye Community Primary School in Year 3 after leaving Ravensmere at the end of Year 2.
The Albert Pye Community Primary School could accommodate all of the Ravensmere pupils without needing to increase class sizes. This is because of the space available in the main buildings.
The site at The Albert Pye Community Primary School could accommodate all Ravensmere pupils within the main buildings on the site at Frederick’s Road. If the re-location of Ravensmere to the Albert Pye site was found to be the best option, some minor internal work would need to be carried out ahead of the move to ensure the rooms are suitable for each age group. The Trust would fund this from its reserves.
The class structure of the two schools is set out below, showing how it is now and how it would be should the proposal went ahead.
Why are we proposing this and what would be the benefits?
- A number of parents have asked us if this is feasible;
- No pupils in either school would be taught in mixed year group classes;
- More straightforward transition arrangements between Nursery and Reception and Year 2 and Year 3 for Ravensmere pupils;
- Ravensmere pupils would gain access to a playing field, improving their experience at play time and increasing the range of opportunities available during PE lessons;
- Ravensmere pupils would gain access to both breakfast club and after school club on-site, allowing full wrap-around care, there is currently a “walking bus” to the Albert Pye site;
- Ravensmere pupils would have greater access to music, art and other enrichment activities, which are not currently available to them;
- Even greater collaboration between staff at both schools; and
- Fewer car journeys and easier drop off and collection arrangements for parents and carers with children at both schools, reducing the environmental impact.
What will happen to the Ravensmere site?
If re-locating Ravensmere is found to be the best option, we would like to continue to use the school for educational purposes. Depending on your feedback, if the recommendation was to go ahead with the re-location we would work with Suffolk County Council, who own the Ravensmere school, to explore the possibility of using it to support children with additional needs.
How can you have your say?
A drop-in event will be held at Albert Pye Primary School on Thursday 14th March between 4-6pm where you can come and find out more about this proposal.
If you are unable to attend this event but would like to comment on our proposal, you can have your say by:
- Accessing our online survey by clicking here
- Returning the completed form to the school office at either Ravensmere Infant School or The Albert Pye Community Primary School.(see form below)
We need all responses by 12 noon on Thursday 28th March.
What happens next?
The Active Learning Trust will consider all the responses received during the consultation and decide whether to complete a business case and send it to the Regional Department for Education (DfE) Director’s office for a decision.
We would like to hear from as many people as possible. Your views will help us to decide whether we make these changes. We will also use any personal information to understand how different groups of people feel about our proposal.
We will process any personal information we receive from you in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Academy Trust’s data protection policy and guidelines. This means that The Active Learning Trust will hold your personal data and only use it for the purpose for which it was collected, being this consultation.
We won't identify individuals when reporting back our findings and, under our record management policy, we will keep this information for five years. We will also, under normal circumstances, not pass your personal data on to anyone else. However, we may be asked under access to information laws to publish or disclose some, or all, of the information you provide in response to this consultation, including any personal information. We will only do this where such disclosure will comply with such relevant information laws which include the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Please could you respond by 12 noon on Thursday 28th March to ensure that your response can be used to inform any decision