Placements at the Waverley Junior Academy

The WCC is aware that the local Waverley Junior Academy (WJA) is oversubscribed for a second year. The national formulae for child birth rates which the Department for Education (DfE) sets, is not a good fit for Waverley.

Last year the DfE indicated that they expected the surrounding schools with spare places to take up the excessive number of children applying to the WJA, also that if more places were available at the WJA, some funds would need to be reallocated from those surrounding schools to the WJA. The WCC wrote to Rotherham Metropolitan Council (RMBC) to raise this issue and spoke at its full council cabinet meeting to emphasise Waverley families discontent with this outcome.

In the intervening period, Harworth approached the DfE, as the trigger point of 1500 houses inhabited had been met for the next phase of buildings for our children's education. Harworth have offered to pay the 5% to the DfE to initiate the extension of the Junior Academy. It was not accepted.

The WCC have of course been considering how we can support residents again this year, who move in to Waverley expecting their children to go to the local school, and those families who are established here, but cannot get a place at the school alongside a sibling.

At the April meeting the councillors agreed to add the WCC's voice to this conversation and will writing to the Admissions Team at RMBC again, and the Department for Education about another form being added to the school to meet the local demand for places.