Fred Nicholson School Boarding Provision

Overview

Norfolk County Council is consulting on a proposal to close the boarding provision at Fred Nicholson School, Dereham, from 31 August 2023.

Fred Nicholson has not been able to offer any of its potential 26 boarding spaces for the last 7 weeks.

There are currently 6 full time staffing vacancies including the Manager and Deputy Manager role. In accordance with statutory regulations Governors had to temporarily suspend this provision on 10th February 2023 at which time it was attended by 18 pupils.

If this proposal to close the boarding provision is agreed, we plan to bring forward the increase of pupil places, currently being consulted on, as part of the plans to relocate Fred Nicholson School to a site in Swaffham.  This would not be an increase of all the pupil places in one term, but phased over several terms, so the school gradually grows.  The space currently reserved for boarding would be repurposed and made available to create additional teaching and learning space for the additional pupils, from 1 September 2023.