Parents: Your questions answered about the Schools for the Future programme
What is the Schools for the Future Programme?
Schools for the Future is an ambitious, long-term programme to raise education standards in Central Bedfordshire by ensuring the area has the right schools, of the right size in the right places, delivering the best education. Moving towards a two-tier educational system is part of achieving this.
Schools have been grouped together into geographical areas, which mirror Central Bedfordshire’s local planning areas, where there will be a greater local understanding of one another’s ambitions for growth, so that any changes are carried out in a coordinated way.
Why is two-tier education being favoured?
Over the last 30 years the number of local authority areas operating a three-tier school system has dramatically reduced. In 1983 there were around 1,400 middle schools in England, and this has reduced to around 100 now. What this reduction in middle schools means, is that teacher training across the country is now geared almost entirely to the primary/secondary education system. So, by moving to this two-tier model of education it will mean Central Bedfordshire schools are better able to attract and retain the best teachers, to give your child the best chance of getting the most from their education.
Our primary aim is to improve educational outcomes for children and young people across Central Bedfordshire. Some schools have much better outcomes for their pupils, so by moving to a primary/secondary model of education throughout the area, there will be a chance to better understand and share what factors contribute to those best performing schools.
One way to improve educational outcomes 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 transitioning to an upper school. This can be disruptive for the pupil, while 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.
Given the current mixed school landscape of two-tier and three-tier schools across Central Bedfordshire, the simplified pathway of the primary/secondary model provides greater clarity for both pupils and the schools, who will also be better able to attract and retain the best teachers, in line with the rest of the country.
Can the council afford the cost of this change to a primary/secondary education system?
We believe we can. We believe we can provide this money from a number of sources including central government grants, council borrowing and contributions from house builders (you may have heard this being referred to as section 106 funds). This is not the money collected from council tax. We also know that building costs are currently quite volatile and have recently increased, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear we will need to be very careful in committing funds in every school project, so that we are able to demonstrate good value for money and keep the whole programme affordable.
As building works will be on a phased basis, is there any chance that schools in later phases will not have building works because schools in the early phases have used up the available funds?
We are very aware of this danger and will monitor spending allocations very carefully to prevent this happening.
Does the programme provide different funding for schools depending on whether the school is funded by the council or if the school is an academy funded by the Department for Education?
The Schools for the Future programme makes no distinction in funding terms between schools funded by the council (also called maintained schools) and academies funded by the Department for Education.
How can I find out if there are any proposals already published to change my local schools?
Find out about the proposed changes for any of the schools in your local area. All the latest information for school in your local area will be published here when it becomes available.
My child has special educational needs. What plans have you got to improve provision for special educational need pupils?
We aim to have proposals to improve educational provision for all pupils including pupils with special educational needs.
Currently there are four dedicated special schools and 12 special educational needs units which are attached to mainstream schools across Central Bedfordshire. We intend to increase specialist places.
Find details of all our current special educational needs provision and our Local Offer.
Why has Central Bedfordshire been split up into eight different areas?
This is because uncoordinated changes to one school could have an effect on other local schools nearby. So, these schools have been grouped together into geographical areas, which mirror Central Bedfordshire’s local planning areas, where there will be a greater local understanding of one another’s ambitions for growth.
Are schools on board with the proposals?
Yes. Changes for the schools in each area will be phased, in line with housing growth in Central Bedfordshire. This means that there aren’t yet proposals for every area. When proposals are developed, or we have more information on your school, we’ll update our plans here. Improving educational achievement is one of the key priorities for Central Bedfordshire Council. The Schools for the Future programme is a key part of delivering this outcome and having the right schools in the right places, and delivering the best education is vital. Moving to a two-tier schooling model is part of this and is key to improving the education offer and in attracting and retaining the best teachers.
All the schools in each area have worked together to understand each other’s ambitions for growth and change while understanding how uncoordinated change can have a detrimental effect on other schools nearby. Ideally, there would be a unanimous view taken on any proposals. But given the scale of the programme, and more than 130 schools involved across Central Bedfordshire, it is understandable that not all schools will agree on all aspects of a proposal. In that case, proposals would progress with a broad majority of support. Also, any feedback provided through consultations is a key part of this in establishing the appetite for the proposals
I like my child’s school. Will it be closed?
If at all possible, the aim is not to close schools. Proposals for individual schools will be published on this website in the Plans for Change section once they have been developed between the schools in that area. And you will have opportunities to provide feedback on the proposals when they are consulted upon.
When will I know of the proposed changes to my local schools?
Changes for the schools in each area will be phased, in line with housing growth in Central Bedfordshire. When proposals are developed, or we have more information on your school, we’ll update our plans.
Many of the changes will require building work, which takes time.
You can find out the areas of Central Bedfordshire where we have proposals for change here.
At present, we aim to complete all the changes to schools by 2035.
How can I find out the latest information about what the plans are for my child’s school, or when changes are happening?
All the latest news and information for schools in your area will be published on this website, when available. Find out how to stay up to date, so you know when new information is available.
Can I have a say on any proposals put forward?
Yes. There are two main opportunities to have your say for each individual geographical area, via an initial public consultation and then a statutory consultation. Details of these will be published on this website.
The first public consultation is to get your feedback on the proposed plan. This feedback will be considered and reviewed ahead of consulting on a final plan for each geographical area, which will be legally binding. Find out how changes are decided.
How do I give my views on the proposed changes to my local schools?
We welcome views from parents and the community on proposed school changes. Once proposals are announced, we will publicly consult and the details of this, plus a questionnaire to tell us what you think, will be made available on the relevant page. There are a number of other ways you can find out about new information related to your school or area, including our free email alert service and Central Bedfordshire Council’s social media pages, Twitter and Facebook, where you can search for posts using the hashtag #SchoolsForTheFuture.
Will you listen to my feedback?
Yes. Everyone’s feedback will be considered, and the themes and issues will be represented in the report and could be reflected in the recommendations that may help shape the plan further.
Regardless of whether I like the plans or not, won’t the council just do it anyway?
This is not a Central Bedfordshire Council programme, but a collaborative piece of work. This is because just under half of the schools in the area are maintained by the council, which means that slightly more than half of the are run by academy trusts funded by the Department for Education that are completely independent of the council.
The council has a statutory obligation to plan for school places, so the council’s role is to:
work with council planning officers to forecast long-term school place requirements (which is a statutory requirement of the council), alongside plans for housing growth
meet with schools in each geographical area, share analysis of housing growth and school place requirements and collaborate with them to develop proposals on the overall picture for schools in that area
meet with individual schools (headteachers, chairs of governors and governing bodies) to understand individual school views and ambitions for growth and change
meet with the Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), Dioceses and the Department for Education’s Regional Schools Commissioner to understand their views and ambitions for growth and change
liaise with neighbouring councils, including Milton Keynes and Bedford, to ensure any co-operation over future plans in those areas
As the planning authority and the budget holder for the proposals, any changes will also be subject to the council’s standard governance processes, such as consultation and consideration by the local authority’s elected representatives (councillors).
What happens to my feedback from these consultations?
Feedback will be collated, analysed and discussed between schools. A report containing the results and recommendations will then be published on this website. These reports and recommendations will be discussed again by Central Bedfordshire councillors in a public meeting, with a decision made on the next steps. We’ll update our plans for change with an approximate timeline for this, when available.
When will these proposed changes to schools come into effect? Will all school changes take place at the same time?
The date for school changes will depend on which area of Central Bedfordshire you live in. Because the programme is phased, some school changes will be earlier than others. You can use this website to check the latest position on any school changes in your area. You can also sign up for our email alerts and we will then send you an email when we have any proposals or new information about your local schools.
Will you be providing nurseries at all primary schools?
Provision for nursery schools and early years is not part of the Schools for the Future programme, as most of this early years provision is by voluntary or private providers. You can find details of nursery and preschool provision in Central Bedfordshire.
Will all the proposed secondary schools have sixth form provision?
Councils have a responsibility to ensure there is sufficiency of sixth form provision, also sometimes called post-16 provision, but not a responsibility to provide it. Funding for sixth form provision comes from central government.
We expect in the proposed new school system that central government will fund some secondary schools to have sixth forms and some secondary schools will be for students aged 11-16 years only. Where this is the case, schools will normally arrange for all sixth form students to have equal access to the further education locally – wherever that provision is located.
If there are changes to school sizes and my child must move to a different school or a changed school, will I be able to get transport for my child to get to the different school or a changed school?
The council has a school transport policy for pupils and this policy will continue to apply to the new school system. Find out how to apply for school transport.
Briefly, for pupils aged 4 to 10 years, if your nearest local school is more than two miles from your home you may be eligible for support with school transport. For pupils who are 11 years and over, if your nearest school is more than three miles from your home you may be eligible for school transport support. In all cases you will need to check the full details of our transport policy.
After the consultation on changes to the school system in my area has finished, how will the final decisions be taken on school changes?
Decisions on school changes depend on how the school is currently funded. Schools which are classed as academies are independent of Central Bedfordshire Council and funded by the Department for Education.
Find out about decisions on changes to academies and how these are made.
If you are not sure whether your local school is an academy you can check the list of academies.
Schools which are not academies are maintained and funded by Central Bedfordshire Council. Read about the decision process on school changes for these schools.
You can check if your local school is funded by Central Bedfordshire Council.
Will this be disruptive to my child’s education?
Every effort will be made to ensure transitions are made as smoothly as possible. And, should any construction work be required that this is also done in a considerate way. This may require temporary facilities to be installed.
What effect has the COVID pandemic had on the programme?
Work on the Schools for the Future programme was already underway over a year before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. During the pandemic, consideration has been given to school staff that have had to adapt to school closures and new working environments and that has meant some delays to the programme. But considering the immediate need for growth in some areas of Central Bedfordshire, it is important to continue with the work to ensure the right schools, in the right places, delivering the best education, both now and in the future.
If my child must move to a different school or a changed school, do I have to pay for a new school uniform? Is there any financial help for parents who need to buy a new school uniform?
Decisions on school uniform are taken either by school governing bodies or academy trusts. The council does not normally get involved in those decisions. Some schools and academies provide financial support for parents who need help with uniform for their children. You can check with your local school whether there is any opportunity for support with school uniform.
What happens to my child if a school in the three-tier model changes to a primary or a secondary?
Lower school pupils (reception to year 4)
Should you choose it, your child can remain in their school and stay at that school up until the end of year 6. If you choose this option, you will not need to do anything.
Middle school pupils (years 5 to 8)
If the school becomes a primary, your child in years 5 to 6 can remain in the school. If your child is in years 7 to 8 they would need to apply to join a secondary school.
If the school becomes a secondary school, then pupils in years 7 to 8 can remain in the school, while pupils in years 5 and 6 may apply for a primary school place or may be able to stay on at the school during a managed period of change to it becoming a secondary school.
Upper school pupils (years 9 to 11)
Should you choose it, your child can remain at their school.
Any changes will take place on a scheduled date, to provide enough notice for you to plan and choose the school that is right for you. Your school will keep you informed of these dates as and when they happen, as will Central Bedfordshire Council. In many cases you may not need to do anything, but you can find the latest information on schools’ change to the two-tier model of education, or you can sign up to our free email alerts that will let you know when new information is available.
How long will it take to become a primary or secondary school?
The process of becoming a primary or secondary school takes approximately three years, subject to each stage of the process concluding, or any unforeseen changes.
You can find all the stages involved in this process here.
You can find out when schools in your area will begin the process of change here.
For each area of Central Bedfordshire that is yet to begin the formal change to either a primary or a secondary school, demand for change will be regularly reviewed against pupil growth data and housing growth, so timescales will be subject to these reviews.
We recognise that housing is being built in across Central Bedfordshire and annual reviews will determine if this changes each area’s priority within the Schools for the Future programme.
At present, we aim to complete all the two-tier changes to schools across the whole of Central Bedfordshire by 2035.
When will updates be provided about changes to schools?
We’ll update our plans for change at key milestones in the process which, for example, will ensure you’ll hear any news when:
there are any proposals to view
there are any consultations, so that you can have your say
any changes are made to proposals
proposals are approved
any changes to school admissions will be published ahead of admissions rounds
any actions are required from you as schools transition (e.g. applying for school places elsewhere)
when any construction works begin
and if there are any delays
What if I don’t want my child to stay at their current school?
There is already a process for this, which will remain the same. If you would like your child to attend a different school, then this would require a new school application to be made to attend the school of your choice.
What do all these changes mean for my child’s school?
Your school will be in one of the following geographical areas. Click on the relevant link below you’ll find all the up-to-date information for schools in your area:
I am new to the area. How do I get my children into local schools?
View full details of school admission arrangements for every school in the area.
Here, you can find a list of:
Academy schools, which are funded by the Department of Education (DfE).
Schools funded by the council (also called maintained schools)