Long Marton School “An excellent community and a sought after school” Herald Saturday 24th June 2017

LMCC was built and started 10 years ago to provide child-care from 2-11 year olds from 8-5.30pm. It has been run by a voluntary committee for 10 years formed from the previous nursery, breakfast club and after-school club. It is totally self-funded and relies on parents paying their fees on time and extra fund-raising to enable it to keep balance. Over the last two years, the pattern of usage has changed – more parents are working from home and using extended family to care for the children and only picking up their 15 hours. The club relies on parents picking up extra nursery sessions and the BC and ASC being full as we always need two members of staff on at any one time and can only afford it if this happens. Recently people sending children to school in Reception have kept them at other child-care providers for their pre-school year, not bringing them to nursery here.

The school is very popular and attracts 50% of its pupils from outside the catchment area. This ensures that the school continues to be viable. Lots of people choose it because of its good reputation and wrap-around child-care. It has a good reputation for sport too but relies on volunteers to run the clubs after school. People use these for free child-care and the attendance at LMCC on these evenings is very low. The school had 71 pupils in October 2016 on census day and we get money for year 2017/18 on that number. In September we will have 84 children – losing 7 Y6’s and gaining 15 new starters.

We have had to teach a class in the hall this year for four mornings to accommodate the increasing pupil numbers. Each afternoon there have been 30 in class 1 which is the limit for a KS 1 classroom. With 84 on roll we will have to go four classes almost full-time but have no 4th classroom in which to give them a permanent base. We have mixed-age classes and would prefer to have no more than 2 years in one class and to teach children within key stages - not across key stages as they have a different curriculum. We need to put a permanent structure in place of terms of staff classes.

As LMCC is closing the school will have to lose pre-school care and wrap-around care altogether OR take on some of the responsibilities currently run by LMCC. Lots of the other small schools in our cluster have already changed their age-range to 3-11 years – Morland, Milburn, Temple Sowerby, Warcop and Orton. We need to go to 4 classes in school AND decide a limit for admission in each year – at the moment we are looking at a year limit of 13. Our lowest current year in school from September will be 10 and our highest 15, with an average of 12. However, we would never turn away a child who moved into the catchment area of the school. We may need to start a waiting-list for children wanting to come who live out of catchment. We need to offer the same care and standard of education that we always have.

to the youngest child(ren). Children looked after by Cumbria County Council giving priority, if necessary, to the youngest child(ren). 2. Children living in the catchment area who have brothers or sisters in the school 3. Children living outside the catchment area who have brothers or sisters in the school at the time of their admission who were directed to that school by the LEA either in the absence of a place being available in the catchment are school due to oversubscription and the school was identified as the next nearest with a place available or in their Statement of Special Educational Need - see note 3 below. 4. Other children living in the catchment area giving priority to those living furthest away from an alternative school with a place available, measured by the shortest walking route by road. 5. Children living outside the catchment area who have brothers or sisters in the school at the time of their admission. 6. Children living outside the catchment area, giving priority to those who live closest to the school, measured in a straight line on the map.  

Proposed School structure Where? Staffing Pupil Numbers 2017 2018 2019 Daily in the school hall Breakfast club from 8 – 8.45 am After school club from 3.30-5.30 pm Proposed School structure Where? Staffing Pupil Numbers 2017 2018 2019 Nursery/Reception CLASS 1 (Class limit 26 pupils) Current class 1 Miss Dixon plus 0.8 Teaching Assistant Support (to be confirmed) 15 Reception + 11 max Nursery 13 Reception + 13 max 12 Reception +14 max Y1/2 CLASS 2 Current LMCC Nursery room Mrs Birkett and Jill 22 25 28 Y3/4 CLASS 3 Current location Mr Ellison and Mrs Hodgson Mrs Hodgkinson 26 Y5/6 CLASS 4 Mr Davis and Mrs Hodgson 24

Nursery and Reception will run together in class 1 – the class is already set up for early years, the floor area is big enough for 26 children but the current LMCC room isn’t. There is a larger ‘outdoor learning space’ outside the classroom. The nursery furniture will move across form the current LMCC room. The Y1/2’s can have a permanent classroom in LMCC which releases the hall for PE, lunch, assemblies etc. The nursery children will have a qualified teacher and will be supported by fully qualified staff. The classroom staff will look after them at lunch in the hall – they will eat earlier than the others at 11.45 and will have an adult with them all the time at play-time and lunch-time in the early years area outside class 1. Reception can play with the older children when they come out of the hall.

We will take children from the day they are three but they will have to pay until they are eligible for the nursery grant. Sessions will run every morning from 9-12 every morning and then 12-3pm on three days a week. The days when we run will depend on the NEEDS of the parents currently using LMCC and needing pre-school use. Parents/carers can pick up their 15 hours and 30 hours if eligible. All nursery children will be led by an experienced early years teacher and teaching assistants/nursery staff. Parents can pre-book sessions but will be required to pay in advance for hours not covered by the nursery grant to secure their place.

Nursery children will eat lunch in the hall with the Reception children at 11.45am. They will play out from 12noon onwards in the early years play area, supervised by the staff that work in class with them. Children arriving for an afternoon session will join in playing with the key member of staff and then go into class with the Reception children. All children in class 1 will be enjoying the same curriculum: where children need support they will get that and their learning can also be extended. Parents and staff will all use Tapestry to communicate about the children and to enable staff to assess them.

You will apply for school at age 4 in the same way as you do now and the admissions policy guidelines will be applied, as shared earlier. The children can wear uniform if they want or can wear normal clothes - it’s up to you to decide. Year 1 and 2 children will have their own classroom just about full-time and will be in a small class of 22 pupils as opposed to current 30+. They will be able to focus on the KS 1 curriculum in a quieter environment with an experienced year 1 and 2 teacher. Jill will be working with that class for the three days that she is in school to support this transition. The building was extended to allow the LMCC extension to become part of the school, if required. We will monitor this over the months and this may happen in the future.

We will offer breakfast club from 8-8 We will offer breakfast club from 8-8.45 am daily in the hall with 16 places. This will need to be pre-booked and pre-paid. We will offer an after-school club each evening that will run from 3.30pm to 5.30pm with a different focus each night – film, craft, sport. There will be 16 places and this will need to be pre-booked and pre-paid. Staffing and prices are currently being arranged: we will give you further details when this is finalised. If you need this in the first week of term you will need to book before the holidays.