To receive from Members any declarations and the nature in relation to:-

(a)    personal interests in any agenda item;

(b)    personal and prejudicial interests in any agenda item.

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

To consider the responses to the statutory proposals to extend age ranges at three Community Lower Schools and one Voluntary Aided Lower School in Houghton Regis and determine the outcome of the proposals.

1. that the procedures established by The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools )(England) Regulations 2007 (as amended by the Schools Organisation and Governance (Amendment)(England) Regulations 2007 and The School Organisation and Governance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2009, had been complied with in bringing forward the proposals outlined in the report, be noted.

2. that the representations attached at Appendix E, to the statutory notices as set out in Appendices A – D, issued on 20 February 2012 under Section 19(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for Tithe Farm Lower School, Hawthorn Park Lower School and Thornhill Lower School and Section 19(3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for Thomas Whitehead CofE VA Lower School, be noted.

3. that the statutory proposals to extend the age ranges of the following four schools to become 3 – 11 Primary Schools, be approved with effect from September 2013 as set out below:-

(i)                 Tithe Farm Lower School to provide 420 places in the main school for pupils aged 5 – 11, with a published admission number of 60, plus provision for 78 part time nursery places.

(ii)               Hawthorn Park Lower School to provide 420 places in the main School for pupils aged 5 – 11, with a published admission number of 60, plus proivsion for 79 part time nursery places.

(iii)             Thornhill Lower School to provide 210 places in the main school for pupils aged 5 – 11, with a published admission number of 30, plus provision for 60 part time nursery places.

(iv)              Thomas Whitehead VA Lower School to provide 308 places in the main school for pupils aged 5 – 11, with a published admission number of 44, plus provision for 44 part time nursery places.