Ruddington School Places Crisis Deepens

Just over a week ago, when Nottinghamshire County Council proudly announced that 96.3% of Nottinghamshire children had been offered their parents’ first preference school for a reception place in September 2023, that statistic simply didn’t ring true for many families here in Ruddington. A parents’ petition to the County Council has now been started. See the update below*. Since then, we’ve been made aware of at least nine village children not securing the expected place to begin their education at James Peacock School in Manor Park. That’s despite five of these…

Read More

Ruddington’s Local Election Candidates

With just a fortnight left before we go to the polls on 4th May 2023, all the candidates standing for election here in Ruddington have now been revealed. Once again, villagers will not be asked to vote for any Ruddington Parish Councillors since, disappointingly, only 13 residents put themselves forward for the 16 available seats. These Councillors have already been ‘duly elected’ by the Returning Officer, without a contest. It’s hoped the vacant Parish Council seats – one in Flawford Ward and two in Manor Ward – can be filled by co-option…

Read More

Local Elections Are Looming

With elections for new Ruddington Borough and Parish Councillors taking place on Thursday 4th May 2023, there are a few things villagers may need to do right now in preparation. Firstly, not only do residents need to make sure we are registered to vote, we will also need to have an accepted form of ‘photo ID’ ready to show if voting in person. It follows the UK Government introducing this requirement – which applies for the first time in England at these 4th May polls. Forms of acceptable photo ID, which…

Read More

Mustard Seed Fashion Show

Ruddington’s charity ‘The Mustard Seed Project’ is putting on a Fashion Show fundraiser to provide clean water, food and an education for children in Uganda. For a fiver you can help its charitable work by supporting the ‘Mustard Seed Fashion Show’, 7pm on Friday 10th March 2023 at St Peter’s Junior School on Ashworth Avenue in Ruddington. You’re invited to enjoy a glass of fizz at the ‘Bra Bar’, and bag some bargains, for the entry cost of £5. There are many Raffle Prizes, too: >>CLICK HERE<<. Tickets for the Fashion Show are available through The Mustard Seed Project Facebook Page,…

Read More

Strike Action Closes Ruddington School

The failure of last minute talks yesterday between the Government and the National Education Union (NEU) to try avert this week’s strike action over teachers’ pay means most pupils at one of our Ruddington schools won’t be in class tomorrow (Wednesday 1st February). In a letter to parents and carers, Headteacher Hannah Cutts writes: “I’m sorry to inform you that James Peacock Infant and Nursery School will be closed on Wednesday 1st February 2023. Projected staff availability means we need to temporarily prioritise places, we have been asked to give priority to…

Read More

School Expansion News Welcomed

Village families who currently have children attending James Peacock Infant & Nursery School and St Peter’s Junior School are welcoming this week’s announcement that Ruddington’s historically preferred Secondary School will be made over a third larger. Since the building of thousands of new homes began in its catchment area, some residents here have been struggling to get places for their kids at Rushcliffe School in West Bridgford (now rebranded Rushcliffe Spencer Academy). In fact, in recent years, a good number of Ruddington pupils have been split up from lifelong friends to be accommodated…

Read More

Help Shape Ruddington’s Future in 2023

Whilst most residents think Ruddington is still a great place to live, complaints are frequently seen on social media and elsewhere about the significant amount of new house building that’s been permitted in and around our village. Inevitably our growing population is resulting in an increase in local traffic, a lack of public parking, the over-stretching of our existing facilities such as schools and doctors, and a general strain on our fundementally ‘Victorian’ era infrastructure. It’s also having a significant impact on our ‘natural’ environment – as precious former Green Belt land…

Read More

Apply Now For Infant & Junior School Places

Whilst the deadline for parents of village youngsters to apply for their Secondary School places outside Ruddington in 2023/2024 has now passed, the process for Infant and Primary children hoping they’ll be schooled here is only just beginning. Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) has announced that applications are now open for kids starting in reception and children due to transfer from an infant school to junior education (Year 3) in September 2023. For children who will turn five years old between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2024, and for those children transferring from…

Read More

Council’s School Places Plea

Parents of children who are starting Year 6 this September are being advised strongly to list four preferences when applying for their child’s secondary school place for next year – to avoid losing out on their preferred school for September 2023. While next September may feel a long way off, Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) says parents and guardians of Ruddington children who are about to start their final year at St Peter’s Junior School (or, indeed, at a school elsewhere) should be thinking about their application for secondary school right now…

Read More

Public Meeting: Helping Ukraine Refugees

If you’re interested in how Ruddington can help Ukrainian refugees then you’re invited to this Public Meeting this Sunday, 29th May, from 2.30pm in St Peter’s Church. Danielle and Tim Pickup from the village arranged this event because they are concerned about the plight of people fleeing from Ukraine. Danielle explains: “The aim for the meeting is to come together as a community to discuss how we can practically come together to help support hosting families and their Ukrainian guests. Post meeting we are hoping to create supportive networks to…

Read More