Amalgamation of Templemoor Infant School and Moorlands Junior School

Overview

1. Summary of this proposal

The proposal is to amalgamate Templemoor Infant School and Moorlands Junior School to create a Primary School. It is proposed this will be achieved by closing Templemoor Infant School and simultaneously extending the age range at Moorlands Junior School from the current to 7 to 11 years, to 3 to 11 years. Therefore, it is proposed that the Headteacher of Moorlands Junior School will become the Headteacher of the Primary School.

The reason this method of amalgamation is being proposed is because from September 2023 there is a vacancy in the headship of Templemoor Infant School. When a Headteacher position at either an infant or junior school becomes vacant, we consider if the site can be effectively managed as one school and if the buildings can be adapted to meet the needs of an amalgamated school at an acceptable cost, should this be required. If this is the case then we commence a period of informal consultation on a proposal to amalgamate.

It is proposed the two schools would form an amalgamated primary school from April 2024. The governing body of the Infant School will agree interim leadership arrangements for the autumn and spring terms in the 2023/24 school year. These arrangements are a separate matter and not part of this consultation.

2. The advantages of amalgamation

We have a long-standing strategic aim to amalgamate separate infant and junior schools where this is possible.

The amalgamation of the two phases, infant and junior, will mean the school can develop a clear vision which is shared and understood by all. It will provide opportunities for the development of the curriculum and improve the way it is delivered. While both schools are already committed to working together and making transitional links, the amalgamation will provide a seamless curriculum which is broad, balanced and demonstrates clear continuity and progression in learning. It will increase opportunities for further curriculum enrichment and extra-curricular activities. 

The amalgamation will enable the better use of educational resources including teaching and non-teaching staff. In terms of management and administration, it will avoid duplicating work. 

Having one governing body to drive the school’s strategic planning and monitor whole school development will ensure robust accountability. 

The amalgamation will provide a single school at the heart of the local community, offering a consistent vision and ethos, bringing about benefits for children, staff, parents and carers.

1. Benefits for children

Amalgamation will improve continuity and progression for children’s learning along with an increased ability to track long term attainment and progress. It will provide a consistent approach to their learning which will follow them all through their time at the school and help them to understand their place within the school family. 

Within a single primary school, all children – younger and older – will have the opportunity to share the outcomes of their learning. The primary school will provide a nurturing environment where children from a wider age range can work and play together over a longer period of time developing a greater understanding and appreciation of one another’s diverse strengths, skills and personalities. This experience has been shown to have a positive impact on social skills, problem solving and relationship development. 

The transition from Year 2 to 3, from infants to juniors, will be smoother for pupils and their families. This will promote an increase in feelings of stability, security and confidence because the children are all in the same school. 

The amalgamated school will provide greater continuity for all children, including the most vulnerable children such as those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and allow children to continue to pursue their chosen areas of interest over time.

The introduction of consistent approaches to inclusion, well-being and behaviour management strategies across all ages would result in clear expectations and a shared ethos which is understood by children, parents and carers throughout the primary and early years stages.

2. Benefits for parents and carers

The amalgamation will lead to the establishment of more consistent engagement with parents and carers as it gives the ability to foster longer-term family relationships within one school, thereby helping to better understand the needs of each child. A close working partnership between school and home has been shown to have a strong, positive impact on children’s learning. 

An amalgamated school will simplify communication between school and parents, especially for parents currently with children in both schools. It will remove duplication and ensure a more cohesive approach for planning events. 

Parents will only need to familiarise themselves with one set of policies and procedures. 

The amalgamated school will enable even stronger partnerships between school and parents with a shared understanding of aspirations and expectations for teaching and learning.

3. Benefits for staff

A single primary school will offer increased opportunities for existing staff to develop their professional interests and skills. It will also assist in the recruitment and retention of staff by providing greater professional opportunities.

The amalgamation will provide opportunities to increase the range of expertise and experience of teaching staff. It will also allow for staff to join together and share their expertise with one another on specific areas and projects, which will strengthen staff knowledge of the full primary age range and increase the effectiveness of what we deliver.

The staff will have more resources and space at their disposal to support curriculum planning and delivery and enrichment activities.

3. Human resources

The proposal is to discontinue Templemoor Infant School and to expand the age range of Moorlands Junior School to enable it to accommodate the displaced pupils and become a Primary School. The Junior School would retain its original school number as it is not a new school, even if its name has changed. Therefore it is proposed the Headteacher of Moorlands Junior School will become the Headteacher of the Primary School.

Both schools are community schools, which means that Trafford Council are the employer of all staff. There are no proposed changes to this; Trafford Council will remain the employer of all staff, and there are therefore no TUPE implications. Staff terms and conditions will remain the same. Other than the removal of one Headteacher position, there are no proposed changes to the staffing structure within this amalgamation proposal.

Support is available to staff throughout this process from their Line Manager and also the Trade Unions. Counselling support is available through the school’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). If you would like to enquire about any additional support available from the School’s Occupational Health provider please contact your manager or Headteacher who will be able to refer you for an appointment.

4. Financial implications

1. Revenue

The proposed amalgamation will reduce the overall cost to the Dedicated Schools Grant which will result in an adjustment through the funding formula meaning there is no impact to Council’s revenue budgets.

Each school currently receives a lump sum allocation as part of the delegated schools’ budget.

This illustration is based on the 2023/24 schools operational guidance and using the 2023/24 lump sum amount of £128,700 per school.

For the 2024/25 financial year, assuming the proposed amalgamation date of 1 April 2024, the primary school will receive £257,400. This is the equivalent of 100% of the lump sums of the separate infant and schools. 

For the 2025/26 financial year, the primary school will receive £218,790. This is the equivalent of 85% of the lump sums of the separate infant and junior schools. The breakdown of this is as follows:

The 2023/24 School’s Operational Guide allows the local authority to apply to provide a second year of protection. The most recent application to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) recommended by Trafford Schools Funding Forum sought 60% lump sum protection in the second year. The ESFA currently consider applications on a case-by-case basis. These provisions may change with the move to a full National Funding Formula.

Beyond any second year of protection, the primary school will receive one lump sum of £128,700.

PE and sport premium

PE and sport premium is calculated and allocated annually by the DfE. It is currently calculated so that schools with 17 or more eligible pupils receive £16,000 plus an additional payment of £10 per pupil.

As a result of this proposal, the Primary School would be allocated one £16,000 lump sum and a £10 per pupil allocation based on the number on roll. This represents an overall reduction of £16,000 as previously both the Infant and Junior Schools received a lump sum amount.

Revenue savings

An amalgamated primary school will achieve savings in the following areas:

• reduction in Headteacher salary costs
• one purchase of certain services rather than two, such as governor support and human resources.

2. Capital

Devolved formula capital (DFC) allocation

DFC is allocated to schools annually by the DfE using a formula. Each school is allocated a lump sum of £4,000 and an amount per pupil based on the phase of education.

As a result of this proposal, the Primary School would be allocated one £4,000 lump sum and a per pupil allocation based on the number on roll. This represents an overall reduction of £4,000 as previously both the Infant and Junior Schools received a lump sum amount.

Schools condition allocation (SCA)

SCA is allocated to the local authority annually by the DfE. Our School Asset Management Plan information combined with Area Surveyor knowledge is used to prioritise and allocate this funding on an annual basis. The funding process for allocating SCA for condition improvements for school buildings will remain unchanged as a result of this proposal. There is no SCA funding linked with this proposal.

Basic need funding

Basic Need funding is calculated and allocated to the local authority annually by the DfE. This funding is for the creation of additional of school places. This amalgamation proposal does not include an expansion of pupil number and therefore is not eligible for basic need funding.

Capital investment to support amalgamation

We are not proposing to make any large scale changes linked to this proposal and it is expected that the infant and junior phases of an amalgamated primary school would continue to operate from their separate sites. If the proposal goes ahead, a small capital budget would be made available to the primary school to support changes to things such as signage, security systems and IT systems.

5. The consultation process

The first stage in the process is consultation with interested parties. These are:

• the governing bodies of both schools
• families of pupils at both schools
• teachers and other staff at both schools
• any other LA likely to be affected by the proposals, in particular neighbouring authorities where there may be significant cross-border movement of pupils
• the governing bodies, teachers and other staff of any other school that may be affected
• families of any pupils at any other school who may be affected by the proposals
• any trade unions who represent staff at the school; and representatives of any trade union of any other staff at schools who may be affected by the proposals
• MPs whose constituencies include the schools that are the subject of the proposals or whose constituents are likely to be affected by the proposals
• any other interested organisation or person that the proposer think are appropriate

We want the consultation period to provide enough time for everyone to ask questions and express their views and for these views to be properly considered. Good practice is a period of 6 weeks, mainly within term time, from the date of the publication of the proposal.

The period of consultation will commence on 12 June 2023 until 23 July 2023. We will consider and respond to all comments and questions and post those comments and responses on our website. 

At the end of the period of consultation, all the feedback will be included in a report to the Executive Member for consideration. If they take the decision to proceed to the next stage, we will publish a statutory notice of our intention to discontinue Templemoor Infant School and simultaneously extend the age range at Moorlands Junior School, so it becomes a Primary School.

The publication of the notice would mark the start of a four-week representation period. Within one week of the publication of the statutory notice there is a requirement for us to publish a full proposal and provide a copy upon request to any interested party. 

A copy of the full proposal will also be sent to the Department for Education (DfE) and to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA). This representation stage allows people to make comments.

At the end of the representation period, all the feedback will be included in a report to the Trafford Council Executive for a final decision.

This is the proposed timetable highlighting the key stages in the process:

6. Governing body statements

Trafford Council has met with the governing bodies of the infant and the junior schools and they have each submitted a statement describing their position in relation to this proposal.

The governing body of Templemoor Infant School does not support the proposal to amalgamate. Read the Infant School statement.

The governing body of Moorlands Junior School does support the proposal to amalgamate. Read the Junior School statement.

    7. Have your say

You can ask any questions and help shape the proposal by giving your ideas and comments.