Issue - meetings

To seek approval for Officers to commence the statutory process to change the age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years old at Wrenbury Primary School.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services considered a report proposing a change of age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years old at Wrenbury Primary School.

Wrenbury Primary School was part of the South Cheshire Rural Nursery Consortium which was established to enable 3 and 4 year olds to access part of their free education entitlement which the Council had a statutory duty to provide for all 3 and 4 year olds under s.7 of the Childcare Act 2006.

With the introduction of the Single Funding Formula from April 2010 and the enhanced flexible free entitlement from September 2010, it was now necessary for the Consortium to be disbanded and for schools to be funded individually from April 2010. Consequently each school in the consortium would need to be able to admit children from age 3. Wrenbury currently admitted children from age 4. Failure to extend the age range at Wrenbury could mean the local authority was not able to meet its statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare in the area. There were no other providers able to provide free entitlement for the children in the area and so the only option open to the Council was to extend the age range at Wrenbury.

RESOLVED

That Officers be authorised to consult on and publish a statutory notice in respect of proposals to change the age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years old at Wrenbury Primary School, Nantwich Road, Wrenbury, Cheshire.