Wednesday 18^th June 2025

Re: Final Decision on the Proposed Amalgamation of Barrow Hill Junior, Robinsfield Infant and George Eliot Primary Schools

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you are well. We are writing to you in our capacity as Chairs of Governors of Robinsfield George Eliot Federation and Barrow Hill. We write to inform you of the final decision regarding the proposed amalgamation of Barrow Hill Junior, Robinsfield Infant and George Eliot Primary Schools and the creation of St John’s Wood Primary School.  

Following the required consultation process, which included a governor-led consultation, meetings with staff and parents and a statutory notice period, the Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection has made the decision to proceed with the amalgamation. Mr Cory Mclauchlan will be the Headteacher of our new school.

The key details regarding the amalgamation are as follows:

• Effective Date: The amalgamation will take effect on 1^st September 2025.

• School Name: The amalgamated school will be named St John’s Wood Primary School.

• School Location: The Lower School (Nursery to Year 3) will be located on the current George Eliot Site, Marlborough Hill, NW8 0NH and the The Upper School (Year 4 to Year 6) will be located on the current Barrow Hill Site, Bridgeman Street, NW8 7AL. George Eliot Year 6 pupils will complete their education at the George Eliot Site. It is anticipated the Lower School will move to the Robinsfield Site after its redevelopment in 2-3 years.

We are pleased to share some key updates as we prepare for the opening of our new school. Please see below important information regarding arrangements for the autumn term:

• School Term Dates
Due to the amalgamation, we will be adjusting our autumn term dates. This will allow the staff team sufficient time to ensure a smooth and organised transition. As a result, we will welcome back pupils on Monday, 8th September 2025.

• School Timings

• Walking Bus
As St John's Wood Primary School will operate across a split site, we are exploring a supervised walking bus from September 2025 to help make these times easier, alongside our already planned staggered start and end to the school day. The idea behind the walking bus is to support parents and carers with drop off and pick up across our two sites (Lower School Site, Marlborough Hill and Upper School Site, Bridgeman Street).

Please complete this short form if you are interested in the walking bus - https://forms.gle/aQ1H4mE8V6ZxGZ9bA. We ask that you please complete the form by Friday 27th June 2025. We will share further information on the walking bus in the coming weeks.

• School Uniform
We are taking a flexible approach to uniform during the autumn term to allow time for consultation. Pupils are welcome to wear their current school uniform or their own clothes. We’ll be gathering feedback from families and other stakeholders to help shape a new policy for the spring term.

• Wraparound Care
Wraparound care will continue to be provided by The Elms at the Lower School Site. We understand how vital external providers are to our families, so we are going to work with both the Adventure Playground and The Winch to ensure that pupils can still be collected as usual. The Breakfast Club will continue to be offered at the Lower School Site from 8am.

• Class Structure
From Year 1 to Year 5, classes will include pupils from the existing schools. Where necessary, we will rebalance classes to ensure the best possible learning environment for every child. We understand the importance of friendships and familiar faces, so we will make sure that each pupil is placed in a class with children they know. Our staff will work closely together to ensure that every child feels happy, settled, and ready to thrive in their new class. Year 6 classes will remain at their current school site. Based on current numbers, our Year 1 to Year 6 class sizes will remain small with the average class size having 22 pupils.

• Hot Lunch Meals
Hot meals will continue to be provided for all pupils across both sites.

• Our Curriculum
The new school’s curriculum will build on the strengths of our three founding schools. It will offer a rich, engaging, and inclusive learning experience for all pupils. More information on this will follow.

• Staffing
The staff team will be familiar to pupils and families across all three of the schools. Pupils will recognise familiar faces in their year group areas, in the playground and during the school day. The senior leadership team will consist of Cory Mclauchlan, Headteacher, Pinal Sheth, Deputy Headteacher – Upper School, Laura Hayes, Deputy Headteacher – Lower School, Bouchra Benharch, Assistant Head, Megan Usher, Assistant Head and Charlotte Beaumont, Assistant Head and SENDCo. A complete staff structure will be circulated before the summer break and ahead of planned transition activities when pupils will meet their class teacher. We will continue to operate on a first name basis.

• Meet the team
During the autumn term, we will hold our usual meet the team meetings so that you have the opportunity to meet the new year group teams.

The Governing Bodies appreciates that this decision will bring about some changes and perhaps a level of uncertainty. We want to assure you that the new school will build upon the strengths of Barrow Hill Junior, Robinsfield Infant and George Eliot Primary Schools providing a seamless learning experience for all pupils. 

We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all pupils, staff, and the wider community. We will continue to provide updates and information as we progress towards the amalgamation. 
 

We want to thank everyone who participated in the consultation process. We are confident that the new school will be a place where pupils can thrive and reach their full potential. 
 

Sincerely,

Nicola Bustin                                                   Jeff Masters                            Gabbie Joseph
Chair of Governors                                         Co-chair of Governors            Co-chair of Governors
Robinsfield George Eliot Federation              Barrow Hill Junior                   Barrow Hill Junior