Age admission consultation closing soon

Powys residents have just days to have their say on proposed changes to the age when children in the county would start school. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Powys County Council’s Cabinet wishes to hear the views of residents on proposed amendments to the Primary and Infant School Admission Arrangements for the 2017/18 School Year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council is proposing revising its policy so that: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

– children would start school in the September after their fourth birthday – currently they can start school at the beginning of the term in which they have their fourth birthday;
– all children would be admitted in to school at the start of the autumn term in September;
– the revised arrangements would start for the commencement of the 2017-18 School year in September 2017;
– additional hours of free pre-school provision will be available to parents and this is included as part of the current consultation. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Arwel Jones, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Schools commented: “There’s no secret that we are proposing this revised policy to help in our bid to meet the £27m budget savings target over the next three financial years. Current calculations indicate that this change would provide efficiencies of £1.5m annually. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“These changes will bring us in line with the majority of other councils in England and Wales where children start school in the September after their fourth birthday,” added Cllr. Jones. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Before the council makes its final decision on the proposal, Cllr. Jones stated that the cabinet wished to hear the views of local residents. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Information on the proposals and the response form can be found at www.powys.gov.uk/haveyoursay. People who do not have internet access will be able to request a copy of the documentation by calling the council’s Schools Service on 01597 826730. All responses to the survey will need to be with the council by 5pm on Tuesday 1st March, 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This consultation follows on from engagement work around pre-school provision which was undertaken by the council last year. Further proposals and consultation on that issue will be undertaken later this year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​