New Liverpool school to open in September as merger goes ahead after long-serving headteacher's retirement
A new primary school is to be created in the heart of Liverpool as two separate sites look to merge. Liverpool Council is pushing ahead with plans to combine the existing Lister Infants and Lister Junior schools on Green Lane in Tuebrook.
Following the retirement of Jan Davies as headteacher at the infants school last summer after 35 years, the local authority has deemed this an opportunity to combine both schools on the single location. If the proposal proceeds, the Infant and Junior schools will both close, and be replaced by a new Lister Primary School.
It is expected the new school would open on September 1 this year. A consultation launched earlier this week seeking public views on the plan.
Mrs Davies left Lister Infants in July having originally worked in the reception class before becoming headteacher of the school more than a decade ago. The city council now seeks to set up the new school which would cater for pupils aged 4–11, with 420 places for boys and girls and an additional 60 full-time equivalent nursery places.
According to documents made public by the local authority, no revised travel arrangements are anticipated because the new school will operate across the existing sites, ensuring continuity of access. Parents may also seek admission to other schools with available places.
Liverpool Council said in its consultation documents how a single school at the heart of the community “would offer a consistent vision and ethos to benefit pupils, staff, parents, and carers.” Existing special educational needs support will be transferred to the new school with the current provisions to formally end on August 31.
The council report said: “If the proposal proceeds, the Infant and Junior schools will both close, and be replaced by a new Lister Primary School formed by the amalgamation of the existing schools. The new school will continue in the existing accommodation and the current headteacher of the junior school, Simon King, will become the headteacher of the new primary school.”
Mr King is currently the interim head of both school. Feedback from that led to the push to go ahead with the amalgamation proposals.
It is expected 60 pupils would be admitted on the first day of term on September 1. An initial engagement exercise took place at the start of the autumn term last year.
The consultation on the plans will run until February 5 and can be found on the city council website.