Council to decide on plans to merge two schools

Rachel Keeling Nursery School
If the plans are approved, Rachel Keeling Nursery School would close. Photograph: Free to use by partners of the Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans to merge two Tower Hamlets schools due to falling pupil numbers are set to be considered by the Town Hall.

If approved, Globe Primary School and Rachel Keeling Nursery School will amalgamate to become an “all-through” primary school for children aged 3 to 11 years old.

The new school would be known as Globe Primary School, and would accept children from September 2025.

Tower Hamlets Council’s cabinet is set to decide on the plans at a meeting later today (29 January).

According to a consultation report, the west of the borough has seen an excess of school places due to falling pupil numbers and a demographic change.

It noted: “In addition, the [Department for Education] reduced the options for local authorities to supplement early years funding which the mayor had previously been able to use to sustain quality provision in Tower Hamlets nursery schools.”

A public consultation took place between September and October 2024 where parents, staff and governors from both schools shared their views on the plans.

The plans received an overwhelming amount of support with all 88 responses from both schools in favour of the plans.

In a joint statement, the two schools said the amalgamation aims to make better use of resources and staff across both educational settings.

Rachel Keeling has capacity for up to 120 children, but as of 1 September 2024, the nursery had just 65 pupils.

Globe Primary has a published admission number of 45 pupils for each year group.

As of 1 September 2024, the school had just 33 pupils in the nursery class and 327 children from Reception to Year 6.

If the plans are approved, the new school would have a nursery provision of up to 90 places and would accommodate the displaced Rachel Keeling nursery children.

Rachel Keeling Nursery would close in August 2025, though the actual school site would stay open, as it would be used for the nursery provision for the new school.

The schools jointly told the Citizen: “The proposal to merge Globe Primary and Rachel Keeling Nursery Schools aims to provide smoother transitions for children and make better use of resources and staff across both educational settings.

“Joining the two sites will also help to ensure high-quality education is maintained and make the nursery provision more financially sustainable.”

They added: “We are committed to supporting staff and families throughout the process to make any transition as smooth as possible.

“If the proposals are agreed at cabinet on 29 January, we will continue with the statutory consultation to allow for any additional feedback.”

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