Have your say over plans to increase pupil numbers at local primary school

A public consultation over plans to increase pupil numbers by more than 100 at a local primary school is underway.

Wrexham Council are seeking views over its proposals for Barker’s Lane Community Primary School in Borras.

Currently there is provision at the school for 210 pupils. However Wrexham Council’s education department say that due to an increase in demand in town centre schools, it has been proposed pupil capacity is increased by a further 105 spaces. This would bring pupil numbers at Barker’s Lane up to 315.

In September Wrexham.com reported that executive board members had voted in favour of launching a public consultation over the plans to increase the school’s pupil numbers.

Speaking last month, Cllr Phil Wynn, lead member for education, explained that the plans would allow the education department to reduce the number of pupils in infant classes rather than increase the number of school places in Wrexham – a policy in line with the Welsh Government’s aims.

Subject to the approval and outcomes of the public consultation, such changes would be introduced in September 2020 for nursery and reception years.

The school would then continue to offer the 45 entry each subsequent year to nursery and reception pupils only. There would be no immediate availability to transfer into any of the higher year groups unless a space became available within the current 30 pupil planned admission number.

It is hoped that these proposals will not only reduce infant class sizes at Barker’s Lane CP, but also alleviate the “current pressure on a number of town centre English medium schools.”

Funding to increase capacity at the school’s nursery and reception classes comes from a £36m package announced by the Welsh Government in 2017 that was partially to address infant class sizes and to get them under the 30 pupil figure.

Wrexham Council are being given £1 million of grant funding to create the space, along with over £700,000 of revenue support for staffing costs over a three year period.

The findings of the consultation will be presented to the executive board in March 2019.

You can view the consultation documents and find out how you can have your say on the Wrexham Council website. The consultation closes on December 12th.