Note: These FAQs are for informational purposes only. For the latest details about the project and next steps please read the full Cabinet report.
Why was Baden Powell Primary School proposed for merging with Nightingale?
Baden Powell school was selected for a proposed merger with Nightingale after applying the selection criteria, as one of the schools most affected by the falling rolls.
In 2014 the school was full to capacity in every year group. By January 2023 there were 50% unfilled Reception places (15 places out of 30) and 23% unfilled places (48 places out of 210, or more than one class) across all year groups. This downward trend is forecast to continue.
Nightingale’s building has a net capacity of 420, out of which 53% is unused, as there are currently 198 pupils on roll. There is sufficient capacity on the Nightingale site to accommodate the children from Baden Powell. Nightingale school was selected to host a merger because the school is in a new building which was built as a two-form entry, and currently operating as a one-form entry due to the low pupil numbers in the area.
Will the merged school be given a new name?
If the proposal to merge Baden Powell with Nightingale goes through, the merged school will maintain the name Nightingale at this stage in the process. After the merge is finalised, the governing body can decide if they would like to consider changing the name of the school.
Will the quality of learning offered at Nightingale suffer if there will be more pupils coming in?
Merged schools would have access to more financial resources, more staff, and would be able to focus more on offering high quality education and support, to allow all children to reach their potential.
Is there going to be an additional teaching assistant as the number of the students in the class will increase?
It would be up to the new governing body of the merged school to decide on what to spend the additional funding they would be entitled to - this could include more support staff.
If the number of school aged children decreased since 2015, why was Nightingale built?
Nightingale was built because at that time more school places were needed in the borough, and the information used by the Greater London Authority to predict future trends showed there would be more children.
It was not possible at that time to foresee some of the main issues that have caused the decrease in the number of school aged children (such as Brexit, the rise of the cost of living or Covid, which all contributed to more families moving outside of London).
Is the merger going to affect school uniforms?
The governing body of the merged school would decide if there is any change of the uniforms.
Where can I find more information about the project?
You can find the latest information in the latest Cabinet report. You can also access the initial information pack distributed to families in March 2023: Nightingale Primary School information pack.