Amalgamation of Globe Primary School with Rachel Keeling Nursery

School - 1st September 2025

Tower Hamlets Local Authority intends to discontinue Rachel Keeling Nursery School by 31.08.2025. The  Local Authority will  make a prescribed alteration to Globe Primary School, by, increasing its nursery admission numbers in accordance with The School Organisation (Prescribed Alternations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013. Pupils currently attending Rachel Keeling Nursery School and Globe Primary School will continue in the amalgamated school.   

As part of the ongoing work between our two schools, the Governing Bodies from our schools have focused on building a strong, sustainable future for our children’s education. Following a school led and Local Authority wide consultation, Tower Hamlets Council have decided to amalgamate Rachel Keeling and Globe schools to form a single school with a single governing body, with Nursery provision continuing on the Rachel Keeling site, from September 1st, 2025.

    Why is this happening? 

The numbers of children in Tower Hamlets are currently falling, government funding for schools is reducing, and Local Authorities are no longer allowed to subsidise full-time Nursery places. This has led to a fall in the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) places required in Nursery Schools and pressure on primary schools’ budgets. 

We believe that by working more closely together across Nursery and Primary provision we will have more opportunities to get the best value for money from sharing our resources and planning, be better able to use staff expertise effectively to support children’s learning; and reduce expenditure so that we can secure a rich long-term future for quality education in the Globe Town community. 

 What are the benefits of amalgamating our schools? 

• Children will benefit from the potential of a wider range of resources and enhanced staff development if our two schools work together. 
• We will be better able to provide continued access for pupils and the families to extended services and facilities, including enhanced wrap-around care. 
• More development opportunities for the staff, such as shared training, and the chance to work more closely across the curriculum and gain experience and understanding in different environments. 
• Greater financial stability would make certain we continue to improve and offer world-class education. 
• The quality of early years' provision will be enhanced for the Globe Town Community. 

What will it mean for the children? 
 

The whole purpose of seeking amalgamation is to create an environment that will have a positive impact on the quality of education that children receive. The children will not notice any significant changes, but we believe this development will enhance their learning opportunities. Nursery children from both schools will all start their education at the Rachel Keeling site, which offers a purpose-built provision, with outstanding outdoor provision. (We will arrange visits for interested parents). Start and end times of the day will be organised to support families with children at both sites. 

In the immediate future we will work towards sharing policies and procedures across the schools and work together to ensure a smooth transition to becoming one school. 

Thee rich early learning environment at Rachel Keeling will be preserved by maintaining the site and its name. 

What will it mean for the staff? 

Again, very little will change on a day-to-day basis. Staff conditions of service will not be affected. All staff employed at Rachel Keeling or Globe schools will continue to work at their schools. Staff contracts will all be with Globe School from September 2025, but there will be no changes to contractual duties. 

The most significant HR (Human Resources) change is that there would be one Headteacher across both our schools. 

There are always changes to staffing over time and should other changes be proposed, due to future financial constraints, these will be fully consulted on with staff, in the usual manner and in keeping with the agreed Tower Hamlets and Unions HR Guidance. 

Will there be any changes to the schools? 

 There would be no immediate changes to the functions of the schools as a result of becoming one school, but there will be developments over time, just as there would be in any school. Globe Nursery children will attend school on the Rachel Keeling site in future. 

https://www.rachelkeeling.towerhamlets.sch.uk 

https://www.globeschool.org.uk/Consultation/?skipHAP=y 

How would the new Governing Body be set up? 

It is proposed that Globe Governing Body would be the single Governing Body for the provisions from 1st September 2025. 

Rachel Keeling Nursery School and its Governing Body would cease to exist, as a separate school from August 31st and Globe School and governing body wou

ld maintain the Rachel Keeling Nursery site as part of an extended Globe School. 

The Globe Governing Body will co-opt at least two governors with early years' experience and expertise, and the Head of Early Years will attend Governing Body meetings. 

How will Admissions be affected? 

Our two schools working together in this way will affect the admissions process. Nursery Parents will continue to apply to Globe School. The admissions point for any over-subscription will be the entrance to the front to the Rachel Keeling site. This change in admissions will be included in the Tower Hamlets Admission Consultation 2025, 

Reception applications for Globe School will use the same admissions point as currently. Parents can choose any local school to apply for reception places, over-subscription criteria will remain as they are now. 

How can I get more information?

You can look on the school websites and If you have specific queries please do contact us:

admin@rachelkeeling.towerhamlets.sch.uk     

office@globe.towerhamlets.sch.uk