Consultation 2025 - Change from Infant to Primary School

Surrey County Council has initiated a consultation on the proposed extension of our school's age range, with the aim for us to become Ewhurst Church of England Primary School from 1st September 2026.

This proposal is a significant development for our school and community. If agreed, it would mean that Ewhurst Church of England Infant School would incrementally grow to include all year groups from Reception to Year 6 by September 2029. This would provide a continuous primary education for our pupils, meaning that children currently in Year 1 would be able to transition directly into Year 3 at our school, removing the need to apply for a junior school place elsewhere.

You may be aware that many local authorities, including Surrey, are experiencing a fall in pupil numbers. This proposal is part of a wider effort to ensure the sustainability of schools like ours, particularly those serving smaller rural communities, while maintaining high-quality education.

The consultation document provides full details on how this proposal would work, including:

• Incremental Growth: The school would grow year on year, with the first cohort transitioning from Year 2 to Year 3 in September 2026.
• Capacity and Admissions: Our capacity would increase slightly from 90 children to 105 children, and there would be a separate process to reduce our Published Admissions Number (PAN) from 30 to 15 for new Reception intakes from September 2027 onwards. This would lead to 4 classes in total, likely with some mixed-year group teaching (e.g., Year 1 and 2, Year 3 and 4, Year 5 and 6) to ensure we adhere to infant class size legislation.
• Staffing: As we grow, there would be a need to employ additional teaching staff and support staff.
• School Buildings: Our existing fourth classroom, currently used for wraparound care, would likely become a junior classroom with minor internal refurbishment. Some remodeling of toilet facilities and outdoor space would also be required.
• Benefits for Children: Children would benefit from continuity of education within a familiar and nurturing environment.

This is a public consultation, and your views are incredibly important to Surrey County Council in helping them to understand the impact of this proposal on our children, families, staff, and the local community.

The consultation period runs from 1st July to 26th September 2025. You can respond in several ways:

• Online: Visit www.surreysays.co.uk and search for our school's consultation.
• By Email: Complete the consultation response form (available alongside the document) and email it to schoolorg@surreycc.gov.uk.
• By Post: Print, complete, and send the response form to:
  Ewhurst CE Infant Proposal
  Education Place Planning
  Woodhatch Place
  11 Cockshot Hill
  Reigate
  RH2 8EF

Please ensure all responses are received by 5pm on Friday 26^th September 2025.

Additionally, Surrey County Council will be holding two public meetings on Tuesday 9^th September 2025, with one at 2pm and one at 7pm for families and the local community to discuss the proposals and provide feedback. We strongly encourage you to attend if you are able.

The outcome of the consultation should be public by 7 December 2025 at the very latest.

We urge you to read the full consultation document, which is attached. We welcome and encourage all feedback to be directed to Surrey County Council through the channels outlined in the document (see below). Should you wish to respond not electronically you can find the paper response form below.

Consultation

Link to "Have your say - Surrey says" Response to the consultation

Paper response form