Wyvern School
Education Consultation
To Parents/ Carers, Staff and Governors ,
8 September 2015
Kent County Council is proposing to expand Wyvern School, Ashford from 190 to 270
places (by 80 places)
Why do we need to expand Wyvern School?
Ashford’s population continues to grow, and we need to ensure that all children from within the
Borough are able to access a good, local school. In recent years the school has been able to
accommodate additional pupils by making internal alterations to the building. It is designated for
157 pupils, but it is currently catering for 206 pupils (190 aged 3-19 years and 16 nursery pupils).
We now need to extend the school’s building to provide for future demand and change the
school’s designated number to match the new capacity.
In order to ensure all local 4 year old children can be admitted, the school will operate an
additional Reception/Year 1 Class in September 2015. We know from colleagues in the health
service that we will need to repeat this in September 2016. It is sensible, therefore, to plan for
the longer term and provide the school with sufficient accommodation to allow it to have a two
form intake throughout its age groups. This means it would have a designated number of 270
(plus 16 nursery places). We are not increasing Wyvern’s nursery provision as the school
currently supports a number of nursery children in their mainstream nursery settings and this will
continue in the future.
We recognise that in the long-term, demand for support for youngsters with SEN will continue to
grow as Ashford expands. We anticipate addressing this through increasing the opportunities
available by operating different support models, for example, places at Wyvern, satellite provision
in local mainstream schools and increased outreach to help pupils remain in mainstream
provision.
Are there any plans to show how this expansion will be delivered on site?
When the school was extended in 2012 it was designed with a further extension in mind. We are
currently working up the detail of the additional accommodation to ensure it meets current
requirements. It will be permanent accommodation. The new accommodation will provide
improved facilities alongside the new classrooms, e.g. a medical room specifically for the primary
department.
There will be a separate consultation on the design and layout of the proposed accommodation,
once we have worked up the detail. You will have the opportunity to comment on them. Our
Property Department will hold a pre-planning drop-in event at the school, where parents/carers,
staff, governors, local residents and other interested parties will have an opportunity to view the
plans, ask questions and make comments. This will enable the design team to take everyone’s
views into consideration before submitting final plans for approval.
How will the school deal with increased traffic?
The intention behind this proposal is to minimise travel journeys by enabling children to attend a
local school. Currently we have children from Ashford having to travel to schools in neighbouring
towns, something that places pressure on a wider road network. The additional places will be
closer to the homes of many of its future pupils which will reduce journey times and distances.
As there will be more vehicles coming onto the school site, a traffic and parking assessment will
be carried out as part of the design and planning process. Also, the school’s travel plan will be
updated. The local authority and school are working together to promote independent travel
where this is appropriate for the pupil.
Will the school need to close during the building work?
No. All of the building works will be planned carefully and contractors will work with the school to
ensure that works are scheduled to keep disruption to an absolute minimum. The building site
will be a secure area to ensure the health and safety of the children, staff, parents and visitors to
the school.
Consultation
This is the early stage of the consultation process and no final decisions have yet been made.
This process is designed to establish the views of parents/carers, pupils, governors, staff and
other interested parties.
A public meeting will be held at the school on Tuesday 15 September at 4pm where you will
have an opportunity to give your views. The meeting will be chaired by a Kent County Councillor.
KCC officers and school staff and governors will be able to answer any questions you may have.
An indicative timeline is set out at the foot of the page.
How can I give my views?
There are a number of ways to give us your views on this proposal:
 A meeting for parents/carers, members of staff and governors will be held at the school on
Tuesday 15 September at 4pm, where you will have the opportunity to ask questions and
complete a response form.
 You can send the response form to David Adams, Area Education Officer, Kroner House,
Eurogate Business Park, Ashford TN24 8XU. Or you can hand it in at the school. All written
responses need to be received by 11am on Monday 5 October 2015.
 By emailing: school.consultations@kent.gov.uk
 Visit www.kent.gov.uk/schoolconsultations for further information.
What happens next?
This consultation stage closes on Monday 5 October 2015. A report summarising the
responses received will be submitted to the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform
who will decide whether to proceed with the expansion and, if so, a public notice will be
published in a local newspaper for a period of four weeks. During this time any person can
comment on the proposal. Having taken into account any responses, the Cabinet Member will
then take a final decision as to whether to proceed.
The consultation process – indicative timeline
Date
8 Sep – 5 Oct 2015
Tuesday 15
September at 4pm
Public Notice period:
22 Oct – 18 Nov 2015
Nov 2015
1 Dec 2015
Sep 2016
Activity
Public Consultation Period
Meeting at the school for parents/carers, staff and governors
If the Cabinet Member decides that the proposal should go ahead, a
Public Notice will be published in a local newspaper, displayed at
the school and on the school’s and KCC’s website. During this time
comments and objections can be made about the proposal. The
Public Notice will run for 4 weeks.
The Cabinet Member considers any responses made and decides
whether to go ahead.
Implementation (if the proposal is agreed)
Permanent expansion of the school
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RESPONSE FORM – Wyvern School
Please complete this response and hand it in at the school office or send it to David Adams, Area
Education Officer, Kroner House, Eurogate Business Park, Ashford, TN24 8XU. Please return
no later than 11am on Monday 5 October 2015.
Do you agree with the plan to expand Wyvern School?
Yes
No
Undecided
Which of the following best describes you?
* Parent/Carer / Member of Staff / Governor / Pupil
* Please delete as appropriate
OR - Other interested party …………………………………..…… (please state interest).
Name …………………………………………………………………………………………….……
Address ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Comments
Please continue overleaf if necessary
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 KCC is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998 and will comply with the requirements of
the Act at all times, ensuring that your personal information is processed fairly and lawfully and in this
instance used only for the purpose of validation, which will enable a fair and just consultation.
 We have completed an Equality Impact Assessment to see if the proposal could affect anyone
unfairly. We welcome your views on the assumptions we have made and the conclusions we have
drawn. To view the document, go to www.kent.gov.uk/schoolconsultations
 View the Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2015/19 here:
www.kent.gov.uk/educationprovision
 View KCC’s strategy for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities
(SEND Strategy) here: www.kent.gov.uk/sendstrategy
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Comments, cont’d
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