June 8th 2018
As you will have seen in my email message to parents last week, I would like to share news on the strategic future of Moulsford, and in particular the future of the Pre-Prep.
Historically Moulsford has had a large intake of boys in Year 3, with a significant number joining at this stage from Cranford House, Rupert House and The Manor. However, since 2015 all three of these schools have changed their dynamic and are now fully co-educational. As a result, Moulsford can no longer rely on a steady stream of boys into Year 3 from these schools.
To secure the long-term future of Moulsford it is therefore very important that the school builds pupil numbers in the Pre-Prep, so that we are not reliant on a large entry at Year 3. We currently have very strong demand for places in the Pre-Prep (there will be 23 boys in two Reception classes next year), and we have taken a number of short-term decisions to satisfy this demand. While considering all plans, the school is extremely mindful of the impact of traffic both on the school site and in the village.
In light of the above, I am delighted to announce that the Governors and the Senior Management of the school have prioritised the construction of a new stand-alone Pre-Prep. Parents may be aware that the school owns the freehold of the land on which the main buildings are situated and the playing fields immediately adjacent to the drive. The land through the archway comprising of the astro, playing fields and playgrounds is not owned by the school but is on a long lease from our neighbouring landowner. While this lease has 35 years to run, its tenure is not suitable for a major building project.
The proposed location for the new Pre-Prep is “Bonfire Field” which is the land immediately opposite the entrance to the school drive, where the annual Bonfire Night event has been previously held. This site has various advantages. First, it will allow for the construction of a state of the art standalone Pre-Prep with its own hall, playground and playing field. Second, it addresses traffic issues for both the village and the school. As a significant number of vehicles would no longer enter the main school, this would take pressure off the car park. From the village angle, the traffic scheme we are proposing creates right ‘ghost’ turning lanes into both the new Pre-Prep site and the main Moulsford drive. This will allow for a freer flow of traffic on the A329. Third, the new Pre-Prep will free up significant space on the main site for the development of additional facilities for the Prep School.
The new Pre-Prep will be self-contained on its own site. On the occasions that boys come across to the Prep School, it is likely they will be transported by minibus. Likewise, we will give very careful thought to those parents who will be dropping off or collecting from the two sites. To confirm, the new Pre-Prep would be for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. There are no plans to introduce a Nursery at this stage.
While embarking on this exciting project, the Governors and the Senior Management are also very mindful of our commitment to continue the upgrade of the existing infrastructure for the School as a whole. Priorities include the Performing Arts areas, the astroturf and the swimming pool. These areas came out strongly in the parent survey for focus, as (not surprisingly) did parking. More on the Parent Survey in my missive next week!
The School has a strong association with the village, and we will be consulting closely with local residents to gain their views before submitting a full planning application. The project is landscape-led and is designed to be in keeping with the village, while also addressing traffic issues. Our initial discussions with the planners have been positive. We anticipate applying for planning in the next couple of months. Assuming the application is successful, the aim would be for the new Pre-Prep to be open for September 2020, subject to planning issues and project management.
The School is able to take these decisions from a position of great strength. Moulsford will have record numbers in September 2018 for the third year in succession, with waiting lists in several year groups. There is strong demand for an all-boys education which focusses on academic excellence while giving boys an extremely broad diet of extra-curricular opportunities. While this new initiative will allow for some growth in Pre-Prep numbers, there are no plans for the Prep School year groups to expand.
I will keep parents informed as and when I have further information.
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