A WINNERSH school has launched a consultation as to whether it should go co-educational.
The Forest School in Robin Hood Lane has been a boys’ school for many years, but its ruling academy trustees are currently gauging opinions as to whether it should welcome girls as well.
If approved, the school’s Year 7 intake will be co-educational from September 2024. The process to becoming fully co-ed will therefore take seven years, as each year group moves up the school.
Consultation documents released by the school say the proposals are based on four factors: addressing surplus capacity at the school, addressing a shortage of places for secondary education across the borough, a desire to continue improving its educational standards, and the school’s commitment to preparing all pupils to thrive in the modern workplace and world.
On a lack of secondary places, the documents note that only the Forest has a surplus of places for the school year starting in September, especially for girls. Department for Education guidelines currently prevent the school from accepting female pupils.
On national offer day earlier this year, the day when Year 6 pupils find out which school they have been offered a place at, there were 57 girls without a place.
The Forest School, on the other hand, is taking 133 boys, but has the potential to take an additional 77 pupils.
The documents note: “The Forest School can help meet the future shortfall if it moves to co-educational provision and will also reduce pressure on other non-selective secondary schools in Wokingham Borough. This will help ensure enough local school places for students.”
Alison Lovland, the chair of trustees, says in the document that no decision, other than to consult, has been made at this stage.
If the decision is approved, the school will then submit a business case to the regional schools commissioner.
To help parents decide, the school is holding a drop-in information session from 4.30pm to 6pm on Monday, June 19.
A consultation form is available on the school’s website, giving people the opportunity to have their say. This can also be printed and then sent back to the school.
The consultation will close at midnight on Friday, June 30.
For more details, log on to: http://www.forest.wokingham.sch.uk/
