Decision details

to ask the Cabinet Member to approve the statutory proposal published by Wiltshire Council on 23 April 2020. The notice proposed to change the age range of Stanton St. Quintin Primary School to provide pre-school provision from 1 September 2020. The school will then admit children from the age of 3 years.  Pupils will be accommodated in existing buildings on the site.

I approve the decision set out in the attached report.

This decision was published on 18 June 2020 and will come into effect on 26 June 2020.

The Council has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient places across Wiltshire and this proposal will provide the community of Stanton St Quintin with pre-school places in their local community.

Creating a nursery at Stanton St Quintin Primary School will provide 24 places for 3 - 4 year olds in the local area. There is currently no pre-school provision in Stanton St Quintin. Whilst there are a number of nurseries in the wider area, this proposal will offer parents a wider choice of settings and one which is more accessible for the immediate community.

The Council does have the option to do nothing but that would not create pre-school provision in the village.

Wiltshire Council and Stanton St Quintin Primary School have widely consulted on the proposal to lower the age range of the school to provide pre-school provision. Consultation with a range of stakeholders took place between 1 March 2020 and 27 March 2020 and preceded publication of the statutory proposals. There were 19 responses received to the consultation, all of which supported the proposal. 

A public meeting was due to be held at the school on 23 March 2020 but unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the lockdown measures implemented by the Government for the COVID-19 outbreak. The school therefore requested that interested parties and stakeholders email any questions so they could be answered before the end of the consultation period. No questions were received.

The statutory proposal period ended on 23 May 2020. There were no objections or comments received.