Consultation West of Waterlooville
Statutory Consultation New Build Primary Academy,
West of Waterlooville
Welcome
In late 2023, a new-build primary academy, West of Waterlooville, was approved by the Department for Education and Hampshire County Council to enter its pre-opening phase. The University of Chichester Academy Trust (‘the Trust’) was delighted to be awarded the academy, which is scheduled to open next year, in September 2025. The academy, when full, will provide primary education for up to 315 children aged between 4-11 years old, together with a specialist resource provision for 8 pupils with special education needs. The primary academy will serve children and families in the West of Waterlooville locality.
The West of Waterlooville Major Development Area includes approximately 2,550 new homes to be built on the Berewood residential development, and 450 dwellings on the Old Park Farm development to the north.
The proposed new academy is required to meet the anticipated demand for primary academy places arising from the remaining new homes to be built on the Berewood development to the West of Waterlooville. The academy will supplement the primary academy places for the development already provided from Berewood Primary School that opened in 2014.
The academy will serve the evolving communities at the western edge of the Berewood development and will be sited on approximately 2.0 hectares.
The proposed site is already well-connected to the homes and wider infrastructure within the Berewood development - with a new cycle way and footpath running north-south to the academy’s western and northern boundary.
Have your say
As part of the process of opening a new academy, the Trust is legally required to hold a consultation exercise, under Section 10 of the Academies Act 2010, to determine whether the Trust should enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department for Education.
This consultation will allow parents, carers, pupils, staff and governors from local schools, local authorities, councillors, local residents and any other interested parties to learn more about our plans for the new academy.
The consultation period will run from Friday 6th September 2024 – Friday 18th October 2024.
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Your views and feedback are very important. Please take the time to read this booklet and kindly complete the questionnaire. You can return it by post,or complete it online at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ WoWPrimaryStat10Consultation/ You can also email us at newschoolconsultationwow@chi.ac.uk or leave a message on 0345 548 2676. The consultation period ends at 12 noon on Friday 18 October 2024 - we would appreciate your views and feedback by this date. Responses received after the deadline will not be included within the consultation report. |
Events
The University of Chichester Academy Trust will be holding two consultation events where you can find out more about the plans for the academy.
The events will be taking place on:
- 25th September 2024, 1.30pm – 3.30pm, at Newlands Community Hall, Newlands Avenue, Waterlooville. PO7 3BX
- 3rd October 2024, 6pm – 8pm at Berewood Primary School, Kentidge Way, Waterlooville. PO7 3BE
School admissions will be through the Hampshire County Council admissions process. Please note that registering your interest in the project is not applying for a place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a free school?
Free schools are independent, state-funded schools. They have the same legal status as academies.
Are free schools able to make a profit?
No. Free schools can only be set up and run on a not-for-profit basis by a charitable Trust. The school will be run by the Headteacher and that person’s leadership team and they will be answerable to the Trust and a local governing body.
Where will the academy be located?
The school will be located on the western edge of the growing Berewood development. The two-storey school will comprise 11 classrooms, a specialist resource provision, a hall, learning resource centre, kitchen and ancillary accommodation - with hardstanding for informal play and play courts, a staff car park and playing fields.
Current site of the new academy:
When will the school open?
It is intended that the primary school will open in September 2025.
Why are you proposing to open with only Reception Year?
It is typical for the majority of free schools to add an additional year group year-on-year until they reach full capacity, in this case in the school year: 2031-2032. This aligns with the local authority's need for school places.
Are free schools selective?
No. All free schools must follow the Admissions Code in the same way as all state-funded schools and our inclusive admissions policy will at all times be open, transparent and fair. We will be working closely with colleagues at the Department for Education and at Hampshire County Council throughout the implementation of the admissions process. Children of all abilities, from all backgrounds, of all faiths and none, will be welcome to apply to be pupils.
When the academy opens, will that mean less money for the other schools in the area?
No. Funding for free schools will be equivalent to the funding of maintained schools and academies in the same local authority area. The opening of a free school does not mean that the overall funding available in an area goes down. However, the total funding an individual school receives will depend on the number of pupils attending.
As this new school will be an academy, the Trust will need to enter into a revenue funding agreement with the Secretary of State for Education, for the operation of the academy, to be effective from the date of the academy’s opening. As this will be an academy established to meet basic need, the County Council will be responsible for funding an amount to support pre-opening revenue costs and post-opening diseconomies.
Will the West of Waterlooville Primary Academy be inspected by Ofsted?
Yes. All free schools are subject to inspection in the same way as other academy category academies. The academy is also inspected by Ofsted prior to opening.
Have you chosen a Headteacher for the new academy?
Not yet. We will be aiming to appoint a leadership team to start with the academy by May 2025. There is a wealth of expertise across the Trust’s family of academies and in its Education Development team to ensure the academy is ready to open in September 2025. We will be letting the community know about the appointment of the new headteacher as soon as we can in mid-2025.
How will the academy be accountable?
The academy will be accountable to the Trust’s Board, Executive team and local governing body. In addition, the academy will be accountable to the Secretary of State for Education through the terms of its Funding Agreement.
Register to keep in touch with the progress of the school build and opening
School admissions will be through the Hampshire County Council admissions process. Please note that registering your interest in the project is not applying for a place.
