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

At a Decision Day meeting today, Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, agreed to open a formal, statutory consultation on the proposal which would create an all-through school accommodating children aged four to 16 years from September 2026. It follows a four-week informal consultation that took place during early summer at the request of the schools’ governing bodies.

Commenting on her decision, Councillor Chadd said: “Thank you to everyone who shared their views on the proposed amalgamation of the schools during the informal public consultation phase. Having thoroughly reviewed and considered the feedback received, and the challenging position currently facing the Riders Federation, I believe that a formal consultation is now a sensible and necessary next step.

“I strongly encourage all those with children currently at any of the three schools, as well as school staff and members of the local community, to have their say in the upcoming formal consultation. Their views will form a vital part of any final decisions taken.”

The merger with Park Community School, which has been rated by Ofsted as ’Good’ since 2017, has been proposed to provide a range of positive opportunities for the Riders Federation, which has ‘Requires Improvement’ judgements for both the infant and junior schools. Having an all-through school would remove the need for pupils to move between schools at different key stages, providing them with a consistent educational approach from age four to 16 and enabling staff to build and maintain strong engagement with them and their families over this much longer period of time. Staff and pupils would also benefit from a wider range of resources, further strengthening the overall teaching quality and improving children’s outcomes.

While the Riders schools’ budgets are currently stable, they have seen a decline in pupil numbers over several years. As school funding is directly linked to the number of pupils, they could therefore face budget pressures in the future and associated impacts on their long-term stability. An amalgamation with Park Community School would ensure a more financially sustainable and efficient arrangement, while continuing to provide primary education in the local area.

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 on Friday, 7 November and run until Friday, 5 December. Details of the consultation will be published on the County Council’s website. The County Council will write directly to parents and school staff in due course to confirm details of the consultation.

Feedback from the consultation will be presented to Councillor Chadd for her consideration at a further Decision Day in February next year, when a final decision will be made.