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For the first time ever, many Ruddington parents have found themselves unable to secure a school place for their child to START their education within Ruddington.

Since the addition of nearly 700 new houses to Ruddington, there are now not enough infant school places for children who live within the village. This year, up to 13 children who live in Ruddington were denied a place at James Peacock Infant and Nursery School from September 2023, due to it being oversubscribed.

We are calling on the County Council to increase school places WITHIN Ruddington, NOT in the surrounding area.

Primary school is such an important part of a child's life. It is a time when they learn to make friends within their local area. If children are not able to attend school within the area they live, this will impact their sense of belonging and kinship to the village community.

Instead, the County Council has made the whole of Ruddington catchment, and even increased school places for Autumn 2023, at Rosecliffe Spencer Academy in Edwalton. This is despite it being over 2 miles away, with no safe, walkable path due to the busy A52 running between Ruddington and Edwalton.

Those children who attend Rosecliffe Spencer Academy from Ruddington will not be able to go down the road and knock on the door of their school friend's house.

It will also put undue stress on families who do not have viable transport to and from school, or who have working patterns which are reliant on before or after-school childcare as there will be no school bus provided at these times. 

Money Paid for by Housing Developers to Increase Educational Infrastructure Is Not Being Used

Rather than increase Ruddington's own infrastructure, using money from a "section 106 agreement" already paid for by the housing developers, Nottinghamshire County Council has decided that children should be sent to primary school outside of the village.

This section 106 funds are presently sitting with Rushcliffe Borough Council, and one pot is set to expire in February 2024.

Problems in the Future for More Ruddington Families

Due to the increase in population in Ruddington, this is predicted to not only affect children starting school this coming September but also those families with younger children applying in future years.

It will also start to affect available places at the junior school, St Peter's in coming years, with those not able to get into James Peacock less likely to get into St Peter's too due to not attending a linked scgool. 

If the County Council do not address this issue, we want to let them know that the whole community will be extremely disappointed by their inaction. 

Photo credit: RUDDINGTON.info