Community News

Proposed Lowering of the Age Range to 2 Years Old at The John Henry Newman Academy

Consultation Period: 25th November 2024 to 18th December 2024

At John Henry Newman Academy, our vision to “Let Your Light Shine” is at the heart of all we do. Guided by our academy values of Love, Courage, Celebration, and Community, we are committed to providing the very best start for every child, fostering strong relationships with families, and building on the exceptional work already embedded in our school and wider community.

Governors at The John Henry Newman Academy together with trustees of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust (ODST) have been considering how best to further serve the needs of our local community now and in the future. Oxfordshire County Council have identified an increasing need for the provision of children from the age of two.

This proposal seeks to extend our age range to include two-year-olds, further enhancing our mission to serve the local community by building on the successful, established Growing Minds school readiness project alongside our stay-and-play provisions within our Community Hub.

This letter outlines the proposal and invites you to contribute to the consultation.

 

Context and Background
For over 20 years, The John Henry Newman Academy has been a cornerstone of the local community. It is known for its ambitious leadership, dedicated staff, and commitment to the personal development of every child. The academy joined the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust (ODST) in 2012 and has been rated Good in its two most recent Ofsted inspections, including in March 2024. The school has flagship status from IQM (Inclusion Quality Mark).

Oxfordshire County Council have confirmed that there is a local need to offer additional provision for 2-year-olds as there is a strong local demand.  We wish to take advantage of new government funding which will help support families with early years childcare, and with limited availability of child minders and nurseries in the local area we wish to extend our provision to support children and families.

It is hoped that by increasing the access for younger children to the nursery, more families will get the support they need and it will allow the excellent provision across the school to develop children and ensuring they thrive from their earliest years.

 

Proposal
From September 2025, we propose to lower the school’s age range to include children from two years old. This change will build on the existing high-quality nursery provision for three-year-olds, with adaptations to cater for younger children.

Key aspects include:

  • Operating hours of 8:35 am– 3.05 pm, with flexible morning and full-day options.
  • Maintaining appropriate staffing ratios: 1:5 for two-year-olds and 1:8 for three-year-olds.
  • Employing additional experienced staff to ensure continuity of care and educational excellence.

This proposal is supported by our Governors and the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.

To accommodate this expanded provision, we would make necessary adaptations to our existing building to make the accommodation suitable. We are applying to the Department of Education for a grant of £150,000 to fund this work. Implementation of this proposal does depend on securing this grant as well as considering the views of our parents and community.

 

Benefits of the Proposal

  • Continuity and Progression: Welcoming children earlier ensures a seamless transition from Early Years to Key Stage 1, with a deep understanding of their development, needs, and progress. Knowledge about the children’s progress, development and needs (especially those with medical or additional needs) can be shared and built on at each stage of their education.
  • Enhanced Curriculum: A progressive curriculum starting at age two supports the development of skills and knowledge, enabling every child to achieve their full potential.
  • Community Support: Increased availability of pre-school education responds to local demand, supporting families and strengthening our role in the community. Children will have access to the wider facilities on the school site which supports excellent transition. It is expected that this will allow us to accommodate more children at a time when there is a great demand for pre-school care and education.

Timelines and Next Steps

The consultation period runs from 25th November 2024 to 18th December 2024, including a community meeting on Monday 2nd December 2.30pm in the school hall.

Following the consultation feedback, and review by the governors a request will be made to the Department for Education to change the age range to 2 – 11 years old.

If approved, we aim to implement this change by 1st September 2025, subject to securing the necessary funding.

What to do next and by when

We value your input and encourage you to share your thoughts in any of the following ways:

  • Write to us at The John Henry Newman Academy, Grange Road, Littlemore, Oxford, OX4 4LS.
  • Attend our community meeting on Monday 2nd December 2.30pm in the school hall, to discuss the proposal.

All responses will be collated, summarised, and reviewed as part of the case for change.

Summary
This proposal aligns with our vision and values, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to shine. By starting their educational journey with us earlier, children will benefit from the loving, courageous, and celebratory community we have created, supported by the strong partnerships we have built within our local area.

We very much hope that the community support this proposal and the benefits that it will bring. We look forward to hearing your views and working together to provide an outstanding start for the youngest members of our community.

 

Executive Headteacher    Chair of Governors

Katie Screaton                  Jean Holderness

 

 

Our local Vicar Revd Margeet Armitstead has been recognised for service to her community in the King’s New Year honours list.

Revd Margreet Armitstead was awarded a British Empire Medal for her work in Littlemore.

The Revd Margreet has served at St Mary and St Nicholas Church since 2003, first as curate and now as vicar. She has been recognised for her work in transforming the church into a welcoming ‘seven-day-a-week’ venue for community activities with a project which included installing running water, kitchen and toilet facilities.

Revd Margreet said: “I was a bit taken aback but I did think it was a wonderful thing to celebrate the ministry that has been happening all these years and that was not just me. I happen to be the vicar but all through the years that we were on this journey together, it was a journey of faith in the context of a building project.

“The spiritual lives of the people have deepened over the years and it has become a really beautiful group of people who have journeyed together to make this happen. The church has been transformed because of the faith of the people in it. It is wonderful that it is fully alive in the week.”

Here at JHN, we are extremely proud of Revd Margreet and all that she has achieved and are thankful that she is such a huge part of our school.