Central Bedfordshire Council has launched a public ‘Have Your Say’ consultation on proposals to change schools in the Cranfield and Marston area from a three-tier to a two-tier model of education from September 2025.
This is part of the Schools for the Future programme, which is a long-term plan to raise education standards and make sure the Central Bedfordshire area has the right schools, in the right places, delivering the best education.
Residents are being asked for their views on:
- Holywell School becoming a secondary school
- Cranfield Academy (St Paul’s and St Peter’s), Houghton Conquest Lower School, Marston Moreteyne VC School (Church End and Forest End) and Thomas Johnson Lower School becoming primary schools
- future options for the Shelton Lower School site, which is currently retained for use to support children at risk of permanent exclusion
Cllr Amanda Dodwell, Central Bedfordshire Council Deputy Executive Member for Families, Education and Children, said: “These are significant changes aimed at improving the quality of education for children.
“Across the UK, most schools are either primary or secondary. Changing to this model will better enable our schools to attract and retain the best teachers and enable our schools to align better with the national curriculum which is geared toward a primary and secondary model of education.
“For children, this will reduce the number of transitions between schools, providing them with a five-year secondary school journey towards their GCSEs, instead of three years at an upper school.
“The proposals will also increase the capacity of the schools, allowing them to grow and more children to attend a local school closer to where they live.
“We are keen to hear the views of the local community before we make any decisions about the future of schools, so I would urge as many people as possible to have their say.”
The consultation runs until December 12th and during this period, Central Bedfordshire Council will be hosting drop-in sessions, both in-person and online, if you would like to speak with an officer to ask questions about the proposals.
The dates and times are available online, where there is further information and a consultation questionnaire for you to provide feedback. Go to: https://www.schoolsforthefuture.co.uk/plans/cranfield/overview
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