Blackburn school to expand after coming out of special measures (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn school to expand after coming out of special measures

4:11pm Wednesday 19th December 2012 in Blackburn By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

A BLACKBURN school which came out of special measures last year is to expand.

St Aidan’s CofE Primary in Mill Hill will add a nursery class to its provision for pupils up to 11 years of age in April next year.

The Norfolk Street school was placed in special measures in October 2007 after being labelled inadequate due to exceptionally low standards.

In August 2011 inspection body Ofsted took it out of the failing category praising major improvements.

Now it is to add a nursery class for three and four-year-olds for 52 pupils a day.

The school will take over provision of nursery services from the Mill Hill Early Years Centre and employ a specialist teacher and assistants.

Government cash currently directed to the early years centre will transfer to St Aidan’s to pay for the new class.

It will cater for 26 children in the mornings and a different 26 in the afternoons.

Schools and education director Lisa Bibby said the benefits for the proposal were: n The capacity of available places for children aged three and four years would be maintained in the same community.

n Children would continue to benefit from experiencing early educational activities to support their learning and development, led by a qualified teacher and as an integral part of a wider schools curriculum plan.

n The proposal would further develop the partnership between the school and the early years centre to ensure that families have access to a range of service delivered within the local community.

The Ofsted report in 2011 said: “St Aidan’s is a good school. The head teacher has established a good climate for learning and a clear focus on raising achievement.”