Schools in Cranfield and Marston Moreteyne area set for two-tier change
Wednesday, 2 August 2023
Our Executive has approved the next stage in the process to change to a two-tier model of education for schools in the Cranfield and Marston area, as part of the Schools for the Future programme.
These changes will see:
- Houghton Conquest Lower School become a primary school
- Marston Moreteyne (Forest End) Lower School become a primary school
- Marston Moreteyne (Church End) Lower school become a primary school
- Thomas Johnson Lower School become a primary school
The remaining schools in the Cranfield and Marston area – Cranfield Academy and Holywell Middle School – are academies and councillors agreed to support the ongoing, parallel significant change process being undertaken by academies, who will now seek approval for a change of age range from the Department for Education, Regional Director’s Office.
These decisions are subject to a five-working-day call-in period but are unaffected by the announcement in June about a pause to the Schools for the Future programme.
Our Executive Member for Families, Education and Children, Councillor Hayley Whitaker, said:
This decision means that our Council-maintained schools in the Cranfield and Marston area are now a significant step closer to changing to the two-tier model of education and providing what families have told us they want.
We will be working with the schools to deliver this change, while also supporting the academies in the area to also make this transition at the same time.
Councillors also approved the proposed closure of Shelton Lower School as a mainstream school after a statutory consultation in May and June saw a majority of support for proposal due to the school having no children on roll for the last 2 years.