I have been contacted by a number of parents from Swiss Gardens Primary School in Shoreham concerned that West Sussex County Council have told the school they will be taking an extra 30 pupils this summer. This has given the school little time to prepare and in any case this successful school is highly oversubscribed and very cramped for space on its small site. The school already has to use The Meads open space next door to extend playground space.
I am concerned that this was done with little consultation and there is a very real concern that adding an extra form will become a permanent feature which would really stretch the ability of the school to look after pupils well.
There is a bigger issue here about the way the County Council forecasts growth figures for Shoreham pupils. The forecasts have been badly wrong since the Age of Transfer changes some years ago, which resulted in the closure of Kingston Buci School and expansion of others. Even now at least one of the primary schools in Shoreham has spare capacity and others have more land available.
I have therefore spoken to the Head of Swiss Gardens and all the other Shoreham primary heads and will be convening a meeting with all of them together with Shoreham County Councillor, Debbie Kennard, and officers from County Hall shortly. The aim is to produce a more strategic plan for Shoreham primary Schools over the next few years rather than keep latching on classes in such an ad hoc way. I will report back after the meeting.