Parents express worry after primary school announces plans to merge year groups

Parents at a Tolworth primary school fear their children's education is being compromised after plans to merge two year groups were announced.

Knollmead Primary School is set to merge two year five and six classes together leaving one year five class from September. In a letter sent out to parents this week it said that classes would be much smaller than an average class of 30 and would be supported by teaching assistants. The letter also said children would be grouped according to their ability in core subjects such as maths and English, "so that every child focuses on next steps relevant to them". But one parent who did not want to be named said no consultation over the changes had taken place with parents.

It has been a turbulent couple of years for Knollmead, which was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted inspectors in 2013. The school was partnered with the Coombe Academy Trust, which also runs Coombe Boys’ School and Coombe Girls’ School, as a result of the inspection.

A new headteacher, Emma Kelty, was installed in September 2013, and she vowed to turn the school around. But within a year it was announced Ms Kelty would not be returning to the school 'for some time' and is currently understood to be travelling.

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