Further School Places Disappointment for Village Families

Once again a significant number of Ruddington children have learned they will be separated from their life-long friends – as the shortage of school places for our village continues. Following this year’s ‘National Offer Day’ for Year 6 Pupils (which is at the start of March) Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) has confirmed that nine St Peter’s Junior School children who put Rushcliffe Spencer Academy (Ruddington’s traditional ‘feeder’ school in West Bridgford) as their first choice, and live in the catchment, had to be offered an alternative Secondary School place elsewhere. Most of these disappointed…

Read More

£336k of Ruddington Schools’ Cash to Expand Edwalton Academy!

Late last year we reported how Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) had indicated the expansion of Rosecliffe Spencer Academy in Edwalton (top photo) would be the focus of its efforts to accommodate an increasing population of Ruddington children, rather than creating more school places here. This has now been confirmed in a ‘response’ from NCC to last summer’s petition by village resident Katie Santana on behalf of aggrieved parents in Ruddington. To their surprise and dismay at the time, a number of families living here found their children couldn’t get a place…

Read More

No More School Places in Ruddington?

Nottinghamshire County Council has indicated that the expansion of a new school in Edwalton will be the focus of its efforts to accommodate future generations of Ruddington children, rather than creating more school places here. This is despite a summer petition by village resident Katie Santana on behalf of aggrieved parents in Ruddington whose children were unable to secure a place at James Peacock Nursery and Infants School in September. It’s the first time this has ever happened, and was blamed on the hundreds of new homes currently being built…

Read More

‘Offer Day’ Dismay For New Ruddington Families

Just over a week ago it was National Secondary School ‘Offer Day’ – when the parents and guardians of all current Year 6 children in Ruddington were informed by Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) whether (or not) they had been successful in getting their son or daughter a place at their first choice secondary school. It brought good news for our longer term village residents whose children are pupils in their final year at St Peter’s Junior School and had applied to go to Rushcliffe Spencer Academy (formerly Rushcliffe School) – Ruddington’s usual ‘feeder…

Read More

Still School Disappointment for Some

At the start of this month we reported the joy of children in their final year at St Peter’s Junior School in Ruddington at securing their places at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy this September. Formerly Rushcliffe School, the West Bridgford secondary school has traditionally been the first choice for Year Six pupils in our village – allowing friends to stay together as they progress to ‘big’ school. In sharp contrast to the year before, and despite continuing pressure on school places, this time ‘National Offer Day’ (March 1st) resulted in every child at St…

Read More

Frustration Over Rushcliffe School Appeals Failure

Angry Ruddington parents have written a joint letter to our MP and to our newly elected Nottinghamshire County Councillors after their children were declined a place at Rushcliffe School in September 2021 – despite living in the catchment area and attending a feeder school. Eight village families with a son or daughter currently in their final year at St Peter’s Junior School, who unsuccessfully appealed the decision to send their kids to South Wolds Academy in Keyworth instead, have now written to Rushcliffe MP Ruth Edwards, Cllr Reg Adair and Cllr Matt Barney…

Read More

Rushcliffe School to Get Bigger

There is some good news for Ruddington families who have children approaching secondary school age. Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) has just agreed plans to expand Rushcliffe School. Councillors approved the proposals to extend the academy in West Bridgford – managed by the Spencer Academy Trust – at a Policy Committee meeting yesterday (Wednesday 17 March). It is to try to meet the rising demand for secondary school places in our area up to September 2025. This need has largely been brought about by a significant amount of new housing construction…

Read More

Ruddington Pupils’ School Places Row

It seems many village schoolchildren starting secondary school this September will have further to travel than anticipated – and also be separated from their friends – in the wake of ‘National Offer Day’ (Monday 1st March). Since discovering the bad news online yesterday, or receiving their letters today, parents across Ruddington have been taking to social media in dismay. For many, their son or daughter will have to journey twelve miles to South Wolds Academy in Keyworth and back every day, rather than the expected six mile round trip to Rushcliffe…

Read More