AYLESTONE Business and Enterprise College will be home to Broadlands Primary School as soon as September if plans to physically join the two schools go through.

Letters have been sent out to parents this week, and head Sue Woodrow – who already oversees the nearby primary school as part of a federation – hopes work to fit out the humanities block will begin in time to open for the new school year.

The move would effectively make the Aylestone the city's first state school to offer students a route through from 5-16 on one site.

And Mrs Woodrow believes this model could provide the answers to many of the challenges facing the county’s small, rural primary schools.

She said: “Their children become our children.

“We can break the concept of the transition from primary school to secondary school.

“I think that small primaries may benefit from getting out and working with other schools – but it really difficult because of the sparcity of Herefordshire.”

“We will be able to share specialist staff – PE, modern languages and technology, now that the curriculum is pushing computer science at a younger age – as well as sharing good practice.”

While plans are in their initial stages, under the new set-up the primary and secondary students would share some facilities, namely assembly halls, dining and sports facilities.

It would however cap the intake of both schools, at least in the short term.

Aylestone, which was a 1200-pupil school seven years ago, has seen a fall in numbers, and would become a three-form entry, taking on around 450 total pupils.

Broadlands, which was two-form entry, will now become a one form entry.

“County numbers as a whole have fallen, and parents can now vote with their feet, but under this new development we will be full,” said Mrs Woodrow, who added that given the site’s open spaces development could be possible if demand rises in the future.

This provides other benefits – both schools can contribute to the day-to-day costs of administration, lighting and heating which had become increasingly inefficient given the fall in pupil numbers.

Since joining the federation a year ago, Broadlands has moved from Special Measures to Requires Improvement and has been told it will no longer be subject to monitoring inspections while its progress continues.

However its buildings would have required around £400k in maintenance work over the next three years, money that will now be spent redeveloping the in Aylestone and installing new facilities like outdoor play areas for the infants.

Aylestone will also help fund the project, along with the county’s capital maintenance group, however no plans had been made public as to what will happen to council-owned Broadlands site after the move.