PLANS to expand a borough middle school’s age range could mean 30 fewer places for pupils in the town.
Ridgeway Middle School has put forward a business case to the Education Funding Authority to become a secondary school following Tudor Grange’s proposals to take pupils from the age of 11.
If the plans are given the go-ahead it means the school would stop taking Year 5 pupils from 2016 and Year 6 pupils in 2017.
In September 2015 there should be a total of 480 pupils at the school. But by September 2018 – when the changes could be fully introduced – the figure would drop to 450 or 90 in each year group.
It is not known where the 30 pupils will go, but the school has indicated it is in talks with Astwood Bank First School, Webheath Academy and Feckenham First School.
In a statement the school said they had submitted the business case because they wanted to offer ‘continuity of learning’ as well as maintaining the levels of provision through the National Curriculum.
“Currently pupils in this locality have to change school mid-way through this vital Key Stage. Our proposal to admit pupils into the school at age 11, would bring us in line with the national norm and reflect what some of the local high schools and some first schools are proposing.”
