Purpose

Littlehaven Infant School and Northolmes
Junior School federated in September 2014 to become part of the
Greenfields Federation and are located less than a kilometre apart
to the East of Horsham. The schools share a Governing Body,
Headteacher and two Assistant Headteachers.  It is proposed that the two schools are
amalgamated to create an all-through primary school on the
Northolmes Junior site with effect from September 2025.  Northolmes Junior School would increase its age
range from age 7 – 11, Year 3 – Year 6 (Y3-Y6), to
become an age 4 – 11 (YR – Y6) all through primary
school and Littlehaven Infant School would close from September
2025.
 
On 22 February 2024, a four-week informal
public consultation was launched, in accordance with Department for Education (DfE) guidance for making prescribed
alterations to maintained schools to seek views on the proposed
changes. After consideration of the feedback, the Cabinet Member
subsequently approved progression of these proposals to the next
stage of the DfE process (decision
CYPLS17(24/25) refers).  This led to
the publication of statutory proposals in November 2024 for the
amalgamation of Littlehaven Infant School and Northolmes Junior
School by increasing the age range of Northolmes Junior and closing
Littlehaven Infant School from September 2025.
 
The proposals were published for a period of 4
weeks and provided the opportunity for the public to submit new and
substantively different comments regarding the proposed
amalgamation.  Following conclusion of
the 4-week period one representation had been received which
indicated support for the proposal. 
Approval is now sought to implement the proposals, as
published.
 
To enable the two schools to amalgamate, some
refurbishment works are required on the Northolmes Junior school
site.  Therefore, approval is also
sought for allocation of the capital funding required to enable the
refurbishment works to proceed.

Decision

The Cabinet Member
for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills has
approved:

(1)The amalgamation of
Littlehaven Infant School and
Northolmes Junior School on the
Northolmes Junior School site by
increasing the age range of Northolmes
Junior School to become an age 4 – 11 (YR – Y6) all
through primary school and closing Littlehaven Infant School from September 2025.
 

(2)The allocation of
£700,000 capital funding from received s106 developer
contributions, as agreed through the County Council’s capital
governance process, to undertake the necessary works required to
Northolmes Junior school, as detailed
in paragraph 2.6, to enable implementation of the proposals in this
report.
 

(3)The delegation of
authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to
commission the development of an agreed design for the necessary
works and subsequently commence a procurement process to seek a
contractor to deliver the required refurbishment at Northolmes Junior school.
 

(4)The delegation of
authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to submit
the necessary planning application and building regulations
approval for the agreed design and to obtain any statutory
consents, and to enter into a construction contract with the
successful tenderer.