Consultation on school catchment area changes: Whiteley Primary School, Cornerstone Church of England VA Primary School, Botley Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, Sarisbury Infant School and Sarisbury Church of England Junior School; Henry Cort Community College, Brookfield Community School and Wildern School

Hampshire County Council is reviewing and consulting upon the school catchment areas for the following schools; Whiteley Primary School, Cornerstone Church of England Aided Primary School, Botley Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, Sarisbury Infant School, Sarisbury Church of England Junior School, Henry Cort Community College, Brookfield Community School and Wildern School. The County Council has been in discussion with the local schools about proposed changes to the catchment areas as a result of the new homes being built for the North Whiteley housing development.

New homes on the housing development for North Whiteley are in the catchment area of one of Whiteley Primary School, Cornerstone Primary School, Sarisbury Infant and Junior Schools on the western boundary and, in the northern part, Botley Primary School. For secondary phase schooling this northern area is served by Brookfield Community School and Wildern School.

In the primary phase the consultation is in respect of the proposal that the catchment boundary be redrawn so that Whiteley Primary School would serve the original housing in Whiteley, and Cornerstone Primary School would serve the newer North Whiteley development. This arrangement is proposed until the second new primary school is built in the northern end of the development. When this new primary school is opened in the northern end of the development, the catchment areas between Cornerstone Primary School and the new proposed primary school would be redrawn again and there would be further consultation.

The new development would be taken out of Sarisbury Infant and Junior Schools and Botley Primary School catchment areas. From September 2023, children in the new North Whiteley homes would be given catchment priority at Cornerstone Primary School. For secondary education the consultation is in respect of the proposal that Henry Cort Community College serves North Whiteley.

The new development would be taken out of the Brookfield Community School catchment area. Henry Cort Community College would give catchment priority to children in the new North Whiteley homes. This includes the area currently treated as in catchment by Wildern School. The effect of this would be that the whole of the existing Whiteley development and proposed North Whiteley housing development would be part of one school’s catchment area.

The governing body of Cornerstone Church of England Aided Primary School is supportive of these proposals. They are carrying out their own consultation which will be available on their website.

Additionally, the governing body of Whiteley Primary School that shares the same catchment area as Cornerstone CE Aided Primary School is supportive of the proposal to retain the existing housing in as its catchment area.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation and should the proposal go ahead transitional arrangements would be proposed by the County Council, for inclusion in the 2023 admissions arrangements for the schools listed below, to mitigate the impact of this change for families currently living in the affected area with children and attending the existing catchment schools, as follows:

• Transitional arrangements for admission to Sarisbury Infant School: A child starting school for the first time who has a sibling on roll at Sarisbury Infant School or Sarisbury Church of England Junior School (who was on roll prior to the catchment change and who would still be attending the school at the time of the younger child’s admission), would also be given catchment priority for Sarisbury Infant School, up to, and including, for admission in September 2028.
• Transitional arrangements for admission to Sarisbury Church of England Junior School: A child starting junior school who has a sibling on roll at Sarisbury Infant School or Sarisbury Church of England Junior School (who was on roll prior to the catchment change and who would still be attending the school at the time of the younger child’s admission), would also be given catchment priority for Sarisbury Church of England Junior School, up to, and including, for admission in September 2025.
• Transitional arrangements for admission to Botley VC Primary School: A child starting primary school who has a sibling on roll at Botley VC Primary School (who was on roll prior to the catchment change and who would still be attending the school at the time of the younger child’s admission), would also be given catchment priority for Botley VC Primary School, up to, and including, for admission in September 2028.
• Transitional arrangements for admission to Brookfield Community School: A child starting school for the first time who has a sibling on roll at Brookfield Community School who was on roll prior to the catchment change and would still be on roll at the time of the younger child’s admission would also be given catchment priority for Brookfield Community School up to and including admission in September 2026.

A separate consultation will take place which will be run by Wildern Academy Trust.

Proposed Primary Catchment Change Map

Proposed Secondary Catchment Change Map

Further Information

Subject to approval the catchment change will be implemented for September 2023 admissions. Should the catchment change be implemented all details will be updated in the schools admission policies and on Hampshire County Council web pages to reflect this change.

Any comments on these proposals should be sent to Martin Shefferd, Strategic Development Officer, Children’s Services Department, Hampshire County Council, Elizabeth II Court North, The Castle, Winchester, SO23 8UG or by email to [email protected] no later than 5 November 2021. Any comments received will be considered as part of the statutory consultation on admission arrangements which takes place between 8 November 2021 and 21 December 2021. A final decision which takes account of the statutory admissions consultation will be made by the Executive Member for Education in February 2022. Details of the statutory admissions process can be viewed via the web link provided from 8 November.