Consultation to go ahead on proposed merger of Havant primary and secondary schools 

At a Decision Day meeting earlier today, Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, agreed to informally consult on the proposal which would create an all-through school accommodating children aged four to 16 years from September 2026.

Councillor Chadd also agreed at the same meeting to approve the amalgamations of Pennington Church of England Infant and Junior Schools in Lymington and of Orchard Lea Infant and Junior Schools in Fareham, following two formal statutory consultations earlier this year. It comes as the County Council continues to manage the impact of falling pupil numbers on local primary schools.

Commenting on her decision to consult, Councillor Chadd said: “Both locally and nationally, low birth years are now starting to work their way through the system. As school funding is directly linked to the number of pupils, this can place significant pressure on schools’ budgets and their long-term stability. As a County Council, we are well-prepared to manage both surpluses and shortages of school places and to minimise the impacts of these challenges on individual schools as far as possible, including through amalgamations where appropriate.

“Having thoroughly considered the challenges facing the infant and junior schools in the Riders Federation, and the many potential opportunities and benefits of a possible merger with Park Community School, I believe it is now right to consult on this proposal with the local community. I encourage everyone with an interest in the proposal, including staff, local families and residents, to take part and share their views.”

The consultation has been requested by both governing bodies of the schools, following a decline in pupil numbers at the Riders Federation over several years. The schools also face ongoing performance challenges, with both currently judged as ‘Requires Improvement’ by Ofsted, while Park Community School has been judged as ‘Good’ since 2017.

Merging the Riders Federation with Park Community School would therefore ensure a more financially sustainable and efficient arrangement, while continuing to provide primary education in the local area. This is in line with forecasts which show an ongoing need locally for 30 school places in each primary year.

Having an all-through school would also remove the need for pupils to transfer to new schools at different key stages, providing a consistent educational approach from age four to 16 and enabling staff to build and maintain strong engagement with children and their families over a much longer period of time. Staff would also benefit from a much wider range of resources, further strengthening the overall teaching quality and improving pupils’ outcomes.

If ultimately agreed, the amalgamation would be achieved by closing the Riders Federation and extending the age range of Park Community School to become an all-through school for children from Reception to Year 11. The new school would operate across both the Riders and Park Community sites.

Following Councillor Chadd’s decision, the consultation will open this Friday and run until Monday 28 July. Details of the consultation, including public drop-in events, will be published on the County Council’s website.

Feedback from the consultation will be presented to Councillor Chadd for her consideration at a further Decision Day in October. If agreed, the proposal would then move to a formal statutory consultation at the end of this year.