• FAQs

Cranfield and Marston area

Latest news

November 8, 2023, update: Six months ago Central Bedfordshire Council’s new administration paused work on the three to two-tier transition programme for some areas to ensure the plans are affordable and deliverable. We committed to updating you in the autumn, so here is an update of the work we have been doing and what this means.

We remain totally committed to:

• supporting all three-tier schools across Central Bedfordshire to transition to the established Primary and Secondary school (two-tier) model;

• investing in school maintenance;

• providing more school places where needed; and

• creating specialist provision for children with Special Educational Needs.

The Council is investing £140m in this work over the next few years.

We have taken a thorough look at the two-tier and new school place plans against the budget, while considering how many school age children we have in Central Bedfordshire in the coming years.  

You may be aware that birth rates are decreasing across the country, with the impact now being seen from the pandemic, while many residents are also tightening their belts and paying more for their bills.   We currently forecast our demand for school places for a rolling five-year period, and this will continue to be updated on an annual basis.  

Our plans need to reflect these changes. In light of the new forecast data and budget constraints, we have made some decisions and you can read the full announcement from Executive Member for Families, Education and Children, Cllr Hayley Whitaker. 

Where we are now

The following table indicates the current status of each school in this area on its journey within the Schools for the Future programme.

The dates indicated below are subject to change, in line with the development the outline phasing plan.

What’s happening next?

A final model for Council-maintained schools to change to the two-tier model of education has been approved.  

Implementation to enable the transition to the primary/secondary education model will take place between August 2023 and September 2025.  

Implementation means the legal change from the three-tier model of education to the two-tier model of education. Any necessary building works may take longer and will be determined through the design and planning process. 

Maintaining the quality of education provided to children through the process of change is an absolute priority for all the schools in the area and Central Bedfordshire Council. 

These organisations will work together to make sure that disruption is minimised and that both pupils and school staff are well supported through the process of change.   

Academies will need to submit a business case to the DfE by November so that a similar decision can be taken by the Regional Director in time for changes to be to their admissions processes. 

Proposals for schools in Bedford Borough will be consulted on and implemented separately by Bedford Borough Council.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about what the the proposals for schools in the Cranfield and Marston area mean for families.

Here are some general frequently asked questions from parents that you may find useful about the Schools for the Future programme, in general.

2023 Statutory consultation (now closed) on two-tier proposals for Council-maintained schools in the Cranfield and Marston area

A statutory consultation ran from Friday 12 May, 2023, until Friday 16 June, 2023, seeking views on proposals for Council-maintained lower schools in the Cranfield and Marston area to become primaries from 1st September 2025, which could also see the closure of the unattended Shelton Lower School.

The results of the statutory consultation were discussed and approved in August 2023.

During the consultation, we sought your views on the following Council-maintained lower schools becoming primaries, with some additional places as well: 

• Marston Moreteyne VC-Voluntary Controlled School (Church End)

• Marston Moreteyne VC-Voluntary Controlled School (Forest End)

• Thomas Johnson Lower School

• Houghton Conquest Lower School

If these proposals are agreed, they would provide enough school places to meet local demand and therefore, Shelton Lower School, which has had no pupils on roll for two years, could be closed.

However, the Shelton Lower School site is currently occupied by the Jigsaw, which is a vital service for vulnerable children from all over Central Bedfordshire. And, asked for views on the future use of the school in the non-statutory consultation held at the end of last year, most respondents were in favour of its continued use as an education provision.

Please see the ‘What’s happening next?’ section above for details on the next steps, now this consultation has closed.

Academies

We are not the decision-maker for academies (Cranfield Academy St Paul’s, Cranfield Academy St Peter’s, and Holywell CofE Academy), so these schools will be required to undertake their own consultations and submit business cases to decision-maker, which is the Department for Education (DfE) Regional Director for the East of England (formerly the Regional Schools Commissioner) and seek approval for the change of age range. 

However, the academy schools are referenced in the statutory notice, along with the four schools in the Wootton pyramid being consulted on separately by Bedford Borough Council, to provide the context for the proposals across the wider Cranfield and Marston area.

Bedford Borough proposals

This does not affect our own proposal, but Bedford Borough Council has identified an alternative option for primary schooling in Stewartby which they ran a short (two week) consultation on.

Following this smaller consultation, Bedford Borough Council will run their main statutory consultation (as we have done), to determine the final recommendations that they will seek to take forward. Their proposals to change Wootton Lower School into a primary school and Wootton Upper School into a secondary school will go ahead as originally planned. A proposal about the future of Broadmead Lower School and the potential use of the Marston Vale Middle School building will follow.

2022 consultation (now closed) on proposed changes to the Cranfield and Marston area of schools (the Cranfield cluster)

Here, for reference, are the details of the Have Your Say consultation which took place between October and December 2022.

Overview  

The area in Central Bedfordshire which includes Cranfield, Marston Moreteyne, Houghton Conquest, Lidlington, Lower Shelton and Wixams is expected to grow, with over 7,000 new homes proposed to be built by 2030, which would mean an estimated 830 – 1,030 additional school places will be needed by 2030.  

We refer to this area of schools as the Cranfield cluster. It is on the border of Central Bedfordshire and many pupils living in the area attend schools in the Bedford Borough area, which are known locally as the Wootton pyramid, and vice versa. 

We are proposing that schools in the Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough area move to a two-tier education system and this pre-statutory consultation set out the proposed changes for the Central Bedfordshire schools in the Cranfield cluster. The timing of the changes will be coordinated with the changes to schools in the Bedford Borough area.  

Under the proposed changes, by 2025, the following lower schools could become primary schools:  

1. Cranfield Academy (St Paul’s)   

2. Cranfield Academy (St Peter’s)   

3. Houghton Conquest Lower School  

4. Marston Moreteyne Voluntary Controlled School (Church End)  

5. Marston Moreteyne Voluntary Controlled School (Forest End)  

6. Shelton Lower School 

7. Thomas Johnson Lower School  

Holywell School could become a secondary school by 2025. 

We are also asking for your views on the future of Shelton Lower School.  

Why we are moving to two-tier 

Historically, Central Bedfordshire has offered a three-tier system. This is where children move between lower, middle and upper schools. However, over the last 30 years, most schools in the country have moved to the two-tier system of primary and secondary schools, now there are just over 100 middle schools left, 13 of them in Central Bedfordshire.  

Moving to this two-tier model of education will mean Central Bedfordshire schools would begin to align with the rest of the country. This will help improve educational attainment by attracting and retaining some of the best teachers, providing a clearer pathway for parents and reducing the number of transitions between schools, which all contribute to giving children the best chance of getting the most from their education.  

Our primary aim is to improve educational outcomes for children and young people. One way to do this is to improve consistency. For example, a pupil at a secondary school will have a five-year journey towards their GCSEs, whereas a middle school pupil will spend the first two years in one school before moving to an upper school. This can be disruptive for the pupil, and the upper school will have had no input in this crucial part of a young person’s education but will need to begin preparing them for their GCSEs.  

The current mixed school landscape of two-tier and three-tier schools across Central Bedfordshire, where some lower schools are also teaching mixed-age classes, makes it more challenging for the teacher to deliver good results. The simplified two-tier pathway of primary and secondary schools provides greater clarity for parents, pupils and the schools, who will also be able to attract and retain the best teachers, in line with the rest of the country, as teacher training is now geared almost entirely to the two-tier system. 

Demand for more school places  

The area in Central Bedfordshire which includes Cranfield, Marston Moreteyne, Houghton Conquest, Lidlington, Lower Shelton and Wixams is expected to grow by 2030. Most of this growth is near Marston Moreteyne, though there is also significant development already committed to at Wixams, plus a site to the south of this, which is allocated in Central Bedfordshire’s Local Plan. Wixams straddles the border between Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough.  

The following map indicates where the housing growth (shown in blue) is expected and being built.  

Because of this growth, local schools have been working together, with Central Bedfordshire Council, on a long-term plan to make sure we have: 

• The right schools  

• In the right places 

• Delivering the best education 

The changes proposed would move the schools to a two-tier model of education and increase capacity to provide the new school places required to meet the local demand.  

Schools in the Cranfield cluster now 

The Cranfield cluster of schools shares a local authority border with Bedford Borough Council. This sees some children from Central Bedfordshire attend schools in what is known locally as the Wootton pyramid within Bedford Borough, and vice versa. The area also shares a border with Milton Keynes to the west but the distance is too great to have an impact on the schools. 

We have been working closely with Bedford Borough Council to coordinate our plans with the changes they are proposing to make to their schools. To achieve the educational benefits outlined above and to ensure there is minimal disruption to children and young people in education, Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council are seeking to change schools to a two-tier model of education at the same time.  

The pre-statutory consultation was only about the Central Bedfordshire schools, although it referred to the schools in Bedford Borough, and a separate consultation was carried out by Bedford Borough Council (which also closed on December 12, 2022) on the four schools that are located within their local authority area. 

Within the Cranfield cluster of schools, there are currently five lower schools (including two schools, which are each split over two sites) and one middle school, as part of a three-tier model of education. Pupils then typically travel to Bedford Borough for an upper school place.  

Age ranges 

Within the three-tier model of education, the following year groups are accommodated at the following types of schools:  

• Lower schools - Reception to Year 4 

• Middle schools - Years 5-8 

• Upper schools Years 9-11 (please note there are no upper schools in the Cranfield cluster, within Central Bedfordshire) 

School governance 

The following schools are maintained schools, which means that they are funded by Central Bedfordshire Council:  

• Houghton Conquest Lower School 

• Thomas Johnson Lower School 

• Shelton Lower School 

• Marston Moreteyne Voluntary Controlled School (lower school over two sites: Church End and Forest End) 

The following schools are academies, which means they are funded by the Department for Education (central government) and run by independent trusts: 

• Cranfield Church of England Academy (lower school over two sites: St Peter’s and St Paul’s) 

• Holywell School (middle school) 

Cranfield Academy and Marston Moreteyne VC Controlled School are both split across two sites. There are also four neighbouring schools in Bedford Borough attended by some children from Central Bedfordshire.  

The following map indicates where all of these schools are located in Central Bedfordshire (shaded in white) and their forms of entry. One form of entry is defined as one class with 30 pupils. For context, Bedford Borough areas are shown shaded in pink: 

The following map also shows the Central Bedfordshire schools (shaded white) in relation to the schools in Bedford Borough (shaded pink). The coloured dots indicate the following types of schools: 

• Green – Lower school 

• Yellow – Middle school 

• Blue – Upper school 

The below table shows the schools in Central Bedfordshire and their current school type, capacity and pupils currently on roll at each school.   

To note: the pupil numbers in the table below are based on all year groups within the school and although there may be an indication of surplus places, these will be limited to individual year groups and therefore not available to all pupils. 

The table below shows the schools included in Bedford Borough for reference only. These were consulted on separately by Bedford Borough Council in the autumn of 2022.

Proposed changes  

We have developed a draft plan which we propose could deliver the following changes by September 2025: 

• Lower schools to become primary schools on their existing sites 

• Holywell School to become a secondary school on its existing site 

• For Shelton Lower School, we are seeking your views on the options for the future use of the school. The rationale for this is explained below.  

Any middle school that is proposed to be converted to a secondary is highly likely to require additional facilities to support a secondary curriculum. 

Age ranges 

These proposals would move the area to a two-tier model of education. Within that, the following year groups are accommodated at the following types of schools:  

• Primary schools - Reception to Year 6 

• Secondary schools - Years 7 to 11

If children already attend a lower school, it means they can remain in that school for two extra school years once it changes to a primary school, rather than moving at Year 5 into Holywell School, which is currently the most typical pathway.  

While this is a significant change it is aimed at improving the quality of education. The proposals will also increase the capacity of the schools, allowing them to grow and accommodate additional school places, which also follows the pattern of parental preference and allows more children to attend a local school closer to where they live.  

Most existing lower schools in the area will transition to become primary schools on their existing sites, with some proposed changes to the number of pupils in each year group.  This will allow for a better school organisation model and reduce the need for mixed-age classes where they occur. These changes will enable Central Bedfordshire Council to cater for local demand and allow the opportunity for more children to attend a local school.  

The following map shows the schools if they were to become primary and secondary schools as proposed, and their forms of entry (i.e. the number of classes in each year group). Classes are considered to be made up of 30 pupils (e.g. one form of entry is equal to 30 pupils and 0.5 form of entry is equal to 15 children). 

Bedford Borough schools are shown in the table below for reference. The proposals for each site will be developed by, consulted on and implemented by Bedford Borough.

Primary school proposals in detail 

When considering these proposals it is important to consider whether an existing lower school site is big enough to accommodate the new classrooms and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support space required to become a primary school.  

There is national guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) that outlines the recommended size of a school site for primary and secondary provision. For example, the ideal minimum site size is at least 8,300 square metres (sqm) for a one form of entry primary school, with one class of 30 places in each year group (otherwise known as one form of entry or 1FE). As a comparison and to indicate size, a football pitch is 7,140 sqm. 

While we will look to follow the guidance where possible, we are not building new schools but expanding existing schools, so each school site will have its own unique set of issues and constraints. 

Central Bedfordshire Council has liaised with the Department for Education which has confirmed that existing areas, such as playgrounds and playing fields, that are built on must be re-provided. It is on this basis that calculations have been made.  

We recognise that school sites will not be fully aligned to all guidance, but we will ensure, in consultation with the Department for Education that the schools can operate at the proposed size. The site size of each of the schools that could become primaries is listed below. 

Primary schools larger than one form of entry (FE) will require an additional small hall and/ or studios, to provide more space for music, drama and other classes and teaching, if required. This is what is meant when we say ‘new studio’ in the descriptions below.  

Cranfield Church of England Academy (St Paul’s site)   

This is currently a one-form-of-entry lower school (150 places) which could change to a one-form-of-entry primary school (210 places). 

Cranfield Church of England Academy (St Pauls site), is a purpose-built lower school with 30 pupils in each year group within a new housing development to the north of Cranfield, off Braeburn Way. The school has approximately 444 pupils on roll (combined across both the St Paul’s site and the St Peter’s site, detailed below) from Reception to Year 4, which is close to the two sites’ combined capacity of 450 pupils. 

The school is the traditional pathway into Holywell School in Central Bedfordshire. A small amount of house building (approximately 240 homes) is currently being built in the village.  

The current school provision includes five classrooms and a custom-built nursery.  

The school site is 14,402 sqm, and the minimum site area requirement for this expansion is 8,300 sqm,  

This could accommodate the additional two to four classrooms, support space for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and a new studio that would be required to become a primary school.  

Cranfield Church of England Academy (St Peter’s site)  

This is currently a two-forms-of-entry lower school (300 places) which could change to a two-forms-of-entry primary school (420 places). 

Cranfield Church of England Academy (St Peter’s site), has 60 pupils in each year group arranged across three separate buildings, off Court Road. The school has approximately 444 pupils on roll from Reception to Year 4 (combined across both the St Peter’s site and the St Paul’s site, detailed above), which is close to the two sites’ combined capacity of 450 pupils. 

The school is the traditional pathway into Holywell School in Central Bedfordshire. There is a small amount of house building (approximately 240 homes) that is currently being built in the village.  

All the buildings are single storey and there is a listed building as part of the school. The current school provision includes 10 classrooms.  

The school site is 8,381 sqm, and the minimum site area requirement for this expansion is 14,600 sqm.  

In this instance, where the current number of lower school pupils would be increased through a transition into a primary school, the case for change is more necessitated by meeting the statutory need for places, rather than meeting national guidance about the size of the school site. 

To become a primary school, the school will require an additional four to six classrooms, SEND support space and a new studio.  

Houghton Conquest Lower School 

This is currently a 0.67-form-of-entry lower school (100 places) which could change to a one-form-of-entry primary school (210 places). 

Houghton Conquest Lower School has 20 pupils in each year group serving the local community of Houghton Conquest. The school has approximately 108 pupils on roll from Reception to Year 4, which is more than its current capacity of 100 pupils.  

The school is the traditional pathway to Marston Vale Middle School, which is in Bedford Borough. There is housing planned to the north of the school at the Southern Wixams expansion.  

The current school provision includes four classrooms, a nursery and a log cabin, which provides SEND one-to-one space.  

The school site is 8,823 sqm, and the minimum site area required for this expansion is 8,300 sqm, so it could accommodate the additional four classrooms, SEND support space and a new studio that would be required to become a primary school.  

Marston Moreteyne (Church End site) 

This is currently a two-forms-of-entry lower school (300 places) which could change to a two-forms-of-entry primary school (420 places). 

Marston Moreteyne (Church End Site) Lower School has 60 pupils in each year group and approximately 558 pupils on roll (combined across the Church End site and the Forest End site, listed below) from Reception to Year 4. The current combined capacity of the two sites is 600 pupils.  

The school is the traditional pathway into Marston Vale Middle School in Bedford Borough. The majority of the house building locally will be immediately to the south of the school.  

The current school provision includes four internal classrooms (Year 4, Information and communication technology, art, music), creative use of space, limited SEND support space and a small hall.  

The school site is 14,621 sqm, and the minimum site area requirement for this expansion is 14,600 sqm, so it could accommodate the additional four classrooms, SEND support space and a new studio that would be required to become a primary school.  

Marston Moreteyne (Forest End site)  

This is currently a two-forms-of-entry lower school (300 places) which could change to a two-forms-of-entry primary school (420 places). 

Marston Moreteyne (Forest End Site) has 60 pupils in each year group. The school has approximately 558 pupils on roll (combined across the Forest End site and the Church End site, listed above) from Reception to Year 4. The current combined capacity of the two sites is 600 pupils.  

The school is the traditional pathway into Marston Vale Middle School in Bedford Borough. The majority of the house building in this area will be to the south of the school.  

The current school provision includes new build teaching blocks (less than 10 years old), single-storey buildings with direct access to an outside space and large communal circulation/break-out spaces.  

The school site is 11,592 sqm, and the minimum site area for this expansion is 14,600 sqm.  

We have a statutory duty to ensure the availability of school places, which needs to be balanced against the available site size. 

Shelton Lower School options 

This is currently a 0.5-form-of-entry lower school (75 places) and any changes are to be informed through this pre-statutory consultation.  

Shelton Lower School currently has no mainstream pupils on roll and has not had any for the last two academic years (2020 to 2022), with no new pupils admitted to start in the Reception year from September 2022, though its current capacity is 75 pupils. 

There is no house building currently planned or allocated in or near the catchment area of Shelton Lower School. However, there is significant forecast housing growth in the wider area, most notably, the Southern Wixam expansion at Thickthorn, and the Marston Valley developments.  

If homes in these areas are built, it is proposed that several new primary and secondary schools will also be built to meet the demand for school places. These schools are not part of these proposals because they are not required yet.  

If all the existing schools in the Cranfield cluster change to the two-tier model of education, there would be enough places available to meet local demand at the other schools, listed above. So, there is no demonstrated local requirement to bring Shelton Lower School back into operation, which would also require expansion to become a primary school. 

However, Central Bedfordshire Council does recognise that surplus places and increased choice could be achieved through Shelton admitting pupils as a primary school.  

We have considered whether a conversion of Shelton Lower School to primary could support the demand for school places now and into the future. The site size of Shelton Lower School is 5,429 sqm, and the minimum site area for an expansion is 5,150 sqm.  

While there have been no mainstream pupils on roll for two years at Shelton Lower School, as a local authority, Central Bedfordshire Council has a responsibility to ensure that resources and assets are used. Therefore, the school site is currently occupied by The Jigsaw Service, which is a vital alternative provision service for some vulnerable children from all over Central Bedfordshire.  

This serves two purposes. Firstly, as a provision for permanently excluded pupils and, secondly, as a nurture and assessment place for pupils without an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who are at risk of permanent exclusion. At present, it accommodates up to five full-time pupils.  

School places are a statutory requirement, so should Shelton be required to meet the demand for surplus school places or increased choice then alternative arrangements may be needed for the education provision currently provided there by The Jigsaw Service. 

The proposals for other schools, outlined in this document, would see the demand for school places met by the other schools in the Cranfield cluster, therefore we need to consider all options for how the Shelton site could be best used.  

There is a presumption against the closure of rural schools by the Department for Education. Shelton Lower School is designated as a rural school, and therefore Central Bedfordshire Council must consider alternatives. Examples of alternatives could be, but are not limited to, its continued use as an Alternative Provision by the Jigsaw Service, which provides education for children who cannot go to a mainstream school; for other SEND uses; federation with another school; conversion to academy status and joining a multi-academy trust. Or, if the school were to close, the site could provide other local community services and facilities.  

Therefore, it is proposed that options for the future use of the Shelton Lower School site are sought and considered through this public pre-statutory consultation. We would like your views on what Shelton Lower School should be used for.  

Thomas Johnson  

This is currently a 0.6-form-of-entry lower school (90 places) which could change to a one-form-of-entry primary school (210 places). 

Thomas Johnson Lower School has 18 pupils in each year group and serves the local community of Lidlington. The school has approximately 87 pupils on roll from Reception to Year 4, which is close to its capacity of 90 pupils.  

The school is the traditional pathway into Marston Vale Middle School in Bedford Borough. The majority of the proposed house building in the area will be immediately to the north of the school.  

The current school provision includes a nursery and reception that are shared across a classroom and a corridor. There is no dedicated SEND classroom, which is in contrast with all the other schools in the which currently have SEND provisions.  

The school site is 14,220 sqm, and the minimum site area requirement is 8,300 sqm, so it could accommodate the additional classrooms, SEND support space and a new studio that would be required to become a primary school. The school’s capacity would initially expand from 90 pupils to 210 pupils, eventually growing to 420 pupils in line with the housing growth at Marston Valley.  

The school is also adjacent to the proposed new housing development around Marston Vale, which doesn’t have planning permission yet. The school has additional land and, in the long term, has space available to make a two-forms-of-entry school (60 pupils in each year group), through the addition of 10 classrooms, a new studio and SEND support spaces. 

Secondary school proposal in detail 

When considering these proposals it is important to consider whether an existing school site is big enough to accommodate the new classrooms and support space required to become a secondary school. National guidance from the Department for Education sets out the recommended size for a secondary school is at least 54,000 sqm. As a comparison, and to indicate size, a football pitch is 7,140 sqm. 

The site size of individual schools are listed below. 

Any middle school that is proposed to be converted to a secondary is highly likely to require additional facilities to support a secondary curriculum.

Holywell School  

This is currently a six-forms-of-entry middle school (720 places) which could change to a six-forms-of-entry secondary school (900 places). 

Holywell School is the only Central Bedfordshire middle school in the Cranfield cluster of schools, serving the local community. The school has approximately 725 pupils on roll from Year 5 to Year 8, which is just over its current capacity of 720 pupils.  

The school is the traditional pathway into Wootton Upper School, which is in Bedford Borough. There is a small amount of house building (approximately 240 homes) planned for the area, which is currently being built. 

The current school provision includes some small classrooms and stepped access.  

The school site is 42,876 sqm, and the minimum site area requirement for this expansion is 49,500 sqm. However, the site could still be expanded to deliver a six-forms-of-entry secondary school, which would have 180 pupils in each year group and a total capacity of 900 pupils. 

We have a statutory duty to ensure the availability of school places, which needs to be balanced against the available site size. 

Holywell School is the biggest school site in the Cranfield cluster of schools, so is the most suitable to provide the cluster with a six-forms-of-entry secondary school. As a secondary, it could become the main pathway for Central Bedfordshire children in existing Central Bedfordshire lower schools if, as proposed, they change to become primary schools.  

New schools 

Several schools are also proposed to be brought forward by 2030 to support children and young people in the Bedford and Central Bedfordshire localities, in line with housing developments. These schools will be funded through developer Section 106 contributions, Basic Need Grant and council contributions. 

In Central Bedfordshire, these will be part of the Southern Wixams expansion at Thickthorn, and the Marston Valley developments. 

At the Southern Wixams expansion (shown in the top right of the map below shaded in orange with the blue shading directly below) there will be two two-forms-of-entry primary schools, each with a capacity for 420 pupils. There will also be one five-forms-of-entry secondary school, with a capacity of 750 pupils. 

At Marston Valley (shown in the map below centrally with the large blue shading) there will be four new two-forms-of-entry primary schools each with a capacity for 420 pupils, plus an expansion of Thomas Johnson School, with one new 10-forms-of-entry secondary school, with capacity for 1,500 pupils.  

These schools will be a sustainable size and in appropriate locations to meet the needs of families in these areas. It should also be noted that if housing developments slow down, so too would the rate of forecast pupil growth and demand for new school places.