In response to a petition signed by 802 Ruddington residents concerning the availability of school places in the village, Nottinghamshire County Council has released a report detailing their planned actions and responses.
The petition, presented to the County Council on July 13, 2023, voiced concerns about the sufficiency of pupil places in Ruddington, particularly in light of new housing developments in the area. This issue has been a growing concern for families in the village, struggling to secure places in local schools.
The Council says it has been actively monitoring the situation and exploring options for creating additional primary school places.
One proposal involves increasing the capacity at James Peacock Infant School and St Peter’s CofE Junior School, Ruddington. However, this plan faces considerable challenges, the council says – including the need for a new access point from the A60 and the substantial costs associated with construction traffic management.
A key element of the Council’s response is the expansion of Rosecliffe Spencer Academy, located in the adjacent West Bridgford Planning Area but encompassing Ruddington in its catchment. This expansion, by 105 places, is expected to alleviate some of the pressure on Ruddington’s school places according to the report. From September 2023, the Academy increased its first admission number from 45 to 60, thus offering more places to local pupils.
The expansion of Rosecliffe Spencer Academy is budgeted at £1.579 million, with a mix of funding from Section 106 developer contributions and the Council’s Basic Need funding from the Department for Education.
Notably, £707,000 of these contributions are tied to developments in Ruddington itself, with the Council having the option to request amendments to the terms of these contributions to support the Academy’s expansion.