A LOWER school in Houghton Regis has been granted permission to change its age range, after staff and governors reduced the cost of their expansion plans.
Houghton Regis Lower School missed out earlier this year when four other schools were given the go-ahead to take pupils up to the age of 11.
And with middle schools changing their age ranges to 11-plus, parents of children at the St Michaels Avenue school were concerned there would be no catchment area school for them to move on to.
But on the penultimate day of summer term, the school was told by the Department for Education that it could go ahead with its expansion.
Chair of governors Graham Morgan the school’s previous plans had required a “substantial sum of money” which Central Beds Council said it couldn’t afford.
“We really wanted a coherent approach for the education of children in Houghton Regis, that’s foremost in our minds,” he said.
“We put in another proposal to the council at quite a reduced sum, because we know we can do a self-help build project with local builders and building suppliers who are willing to help.
“We have about 60 per cent of the money available in our school funds, which we had earmarked for another build.”
The remaining 40 per cent would be loaned to the school, he said.
“It’s going to be financially tight but it means all lower schools in Houghton Regis will be primaries by next September.”
Mr Morgan said the school would continue to campaign for Central Beds Council to provide some of the funding for the project, which will see two new classrooms built. The school is now in consultation with parents and other affected parties on the changes, and people need to submit their views by October 8.
Speaking to the Gazette on Friday, Mr Morgan added: “Hopefully today’s leavers’ ceremony will have been our last one for three years, as all being well the children will be staying in the school.”
Critics of three-school schooling say children’s attainment is affected when they transfer to middle school.
“There’s a big dip because they move right in the middle of a key stage, said Mr Morgan. “This is all purely to improve results for children.”