Our role is to serve our community and we are in constant pursuit of how best to achieve this.

We have had great success with our Early Years provision and know that when our pastoral care team works alongside our families, we can provide positive support to our youngest children and their parents through times when they experience vulnerability.

We already have evidence of supporting families to grow their resilience which means children are ready and able to make the most of the education offer when they are in school, thriving at every stage. You are hopefully already aware that we were recently successful in gaining government funding to make changes to our nursery that will allow us to have a small number of places for two-year-olds. Given that this is an area of strength in our provision, we are keen to find ways to develop this even further. 

One way that we may achieve this, is through prioritising our Early Years offer and planning for future expansion. In seeking to do this, we have to look carefully at all aspects of current school life and ensure that our energies are turned towards the places where we can make the most difference. In recent years, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain and develop the LAN centre. You will be aware that despite multiple attempts to recruit a qualified teacher to co-lead the centre, we have been unable to do so. We have also been unable to secure full cohorts at times. After careful consideration, we have taken the decision to apply to the Department of Education for a Significant Change with a view to closing the LAN centre at the end of the next academic year, in July 2026. 

We understand that this may be a surprise to our families which is why it was important to take the time to explain the thinking behind the decision and to describe how we feel Darley Dene Primary School and Nursery can best serve its community in the future. We have always been, and will continue to be, an inclusive school. Our approach to inclusion was remarked on positively during the 2024 Ofsted inspection and we remain committed to inclusive practice in every aspect of our work. Closing the LAN centre will mean that families who might have sought a place with us will be signposted elsewhere and hopefully secure the specific, specialist provision they deserve. It will also mean that we may be able to offer places to many more children and families in our immediate community who, through securing a nursery place, may be able to start or return to work and secure their own independence which is a springboard to improved resilience for the whole family. 

The consultation provides an opportunity for us to understand how the community feels about the proposed changes, the closure of the LAN centre and the expansion of Darley Dene' s role asa leading provider of early education and pastoral care in the local area. The views expressed in the consultation will be shared with the Department for Education to allow them to assess our case and make a final decision. We look forward to hearing your views and thank you in advance for taking the time to share them with us. 

This is an opportunity for parents, family members, staff and the local community who have
an interest in the school to respond to the proposal. You can state whether you support the proposal or not by completing the questionnaire in the link below:

Any further comments or questions can be emailed to: office.darleydene@lumenlearningtrust.co.uk for the attention of the Headteacher.