Houlton Consultation
A consultation has been launched to change the age range of Houlton School, so it can support, nurture, and educate children and young people from the ages of 4- 18.
Currently Houlton School has a designated age range of 11-18 and is growing a year group at a time since it first opened in 2021.
Now Houlton’s master developer, Urban&Civic (U&C), and the Transforming Lives Educational Trust (TLET) are launching consultations to support the creation of the latest primary school on the development.
It is proposed that the new primary provision would be part of Houlton School, which was recently praised by Ofsted for being “aspirational” and a place where “pupils rise to the challenges set by the school”. This will mean that children will be able to learn on one site from their first day at nursery through to them heading to the country’s top universities and employers.
A new building would be added to the Houlton School site to accommodate the primary provision. It would have enough space for two classes (60 pupils) in each year group. The primary provision would welcome Reception children in its first year, which is anticipated to be in September 2026, and initially may be one class (30 pupils) in each year group.
However, over time it is projected that the Houlton development will need six forms of entry across three primary schools to meet the needs of the community. When demand dictates, Houlton School would provide two of these six forms of entry – with two other schools, including St Gabriel’s CofE Academy, also providing two forms of entry each.
James Higham, TLET’s CEO, said: “This is an incredibly exciting proposal. These plans will give local families a very different offer, and something that will be unique in Rugby and the surrounding area.
“Essentially, each child will be able to grow through their education in an environment that is not just nurturing and familiar to them, but also provides award winning facilities. They will be fully supported on their journey through school, particularly the sometimes-challenging step from primary through to secondary.
“The benefits of this all-through model are tangible. There is evidence to show that it can enhance wellbeing, create role-model and leadership opportunities for children and improve academic learning.
“It also means that staff are not confined to teaching specific year groups. For example, teachers in the secondary part of the school could spend time in the primary phase – and vice versa. This is great for staff development and retention, as well as enhancing pupil experience.”
Under the plans, the primary and secondary phases of Houlton School will sit under the same leadership and governance structure.
The school would be designed and built by Urban&Civic as part of their outline planning permission for the growing community of Houlton, and then transferred to TLET to operate as an all-through school.
The proposal, which will have a planning application for the build of the school running alongside the age range consultation, would see the new primary school building be located to the west of the entrance to the existing Houlton School.
To share your views on the plans regarding the age range, please share your thoughts emailing consultation@tlet.org.uk. The consultation runs from Monday 13 January 2025 to Friday 7 February 2025.
When and how can I apply for this primary school? How will the admissions work?
Plans, at this stage, are for the school to open in September 2026. Just like the secondary part of the school, it is likely to fill up a year group at a time – meaning that we would welcome Reception children at that stage.
Applications would be managed by the Local Authority on behalf of TLET, who are the Admissions Authority, and the admissions criteria will be aligned with the existing arrangements in place for Houlton School. The closing date for applications for September 2026 will be mid-January of that year.
Are all-through schools rare? Is there any evidence that they work?
There are over 100 all-through schools in England, and they are becoming more popular.
Evidence and anecdotal feedback show that there are some real benefits to the model.
Will I be guaranteed a place at Houlton School secondary if my child attends the primary?
Essentially the school will be one school incorporating several phases of education. That means that, should they want it, a child joining in Reception will have a place at the school until they have completed their A-Levels or equivalent qualifications.
How does it work with 4-year-olds and 18-year-olds in the same school?
The existing building at Houlton School is made up of a collection of buildings in a campus. An additional building will be added to the campus for primary-aged children with separate outdoor play areas, sports, and dining, so daily contact between older and younger pupils will be minimal.
However, some facilities will be shared, such as specialist sports, drama, and other teaching spaces, giving all pupils access to Houlton School’s award-winning facilities. There also will be planned opportunities where children and young people come together as this creates leadership and mentoring opportunities. It also will help children successfully and smoothly move between each phase of education.
Will this be disruptive for my child who is at Houlton School now?
While plans are for the primary phase building to be built next to the secondary site, there will be a gap between the buildings. This means that during any building work there will be minimal disruptions for pupils currently learning in the secondary phase.
Will the school/Is the school designed to be in-keeping with the existing building?
Houlton School is incredibly proud of the buildings and facilities we currently offer our children. The plans for the primary phase site are exciting – and will be shared during the planning consultation.
Will there be two entrances, one for primary aged children and one for secondary aged children?
Yes.
How are you going to manage drop-off and pick-up at the school? It is already a problem for Houlton School.
This is something that we will consider and manage carefully, and in consultation with the local highways department. For example, there will be a separate entrance - but we may also consider phasing start times to help reduce the pressure on local roads.
Will there be more schools on the Houlton development?
There will be one more school in the Houlton development. This will not be linked to Houlton School.
Will the school share the same uniform and staff?
There will be lots of similarities across the primary and secondary phase – however, everything will be adapted so that it is age appropriate and there are specialists to support the children through that phase of their education.
What evidence of need is there for the school?
The demand for school places will be driven by the residents moving into the new homes on the Houlton development.
TLET will also continue to work alongside the Local Authority to consider pupil numbers in the county as part of the planning process.