The Best Guide for the NE3 Area

Prior to attending the meeting I was of the opinion that as Brunton First School will be the nearest school to us we should definitely send our daughter there. Having seen the plans at the meeting and heard about the facilities in the school I thought great, this is the school for us. However, my opinion rapidly changed when it dawned on me that none of the people leading the meeting appeared to have any direct interest in whether or not the school would be fully attended in the first year. Unfortunately for me the answers to really good questions often had the same answer “We just don’t know”. This “we don’t know” response got to the point where people stopped asking questions because you knew the answer you would get. I think the people leading the meeting would have left thinking that it went well as they didn’t get too much of a ‘grilling’. Not getting a ‘grilling’ may well have been the objective for the meeting but I feel that what genuinely concerned parents really wanted was proper reassurance and encouragement that Brunton First School is a viable option for them to send their children to. Currently my view is to not send my daughter to Brunton First School, which I feel quite sad about. I don’t know what it would take to change my mind but I will be giving it some thought over the coming weeks.
If anyone else has any view on this it would be great if you could post something here. Hearing your views might help me to make a decision, and indeed help you too if you are in the same position as me.

It really would be great to hear your concerns, thanks for you time.

Keith Pulford

Hi Keith - I was at the meeting as well. I was hoping for a few more answers from the officials and Head but I was very impressed by the plans of the school and the thought that has gone into the building itself. If as much thought goes into the rest (staffing etc) then it should be a great school. The first few weeks might be a bit chaotic (especially if the building work isn't completed) but our children are in it for the long term and it seems a great opportunity for them.

Firstly I would just like to say I am glad to see this site set up about the new school and I hope I will be able to gain further understanding about the school from other peoples comments.. I unfortunately was unable to attend the meeting due to being away on the day of the meeting and I am guessing I am not the only parent who was unable to attend the meeting due to such short notice. I am finding it extremely difficult to decide the best option for my child and I am very hesitant to make Brunton Park School my first choice in application. I feel that we are having to make a very important decision for our children based on very little information. How many children are going to be in each class? How many teachers will be within each year group? What middle school will it feed into? WIll the school be ring fenced or if numbers do not meet the minimum will they be accepting children from further afield? Will there be breakfast clubs and after school activities during the first year? I have no doubt that the building and facilities will be fantastic for the children however I still have huge doubts if it is the right decision to make. One of my main concerns is that my child becomes the guinea pig year of the school where the headteacher is still trying to establish the school set up as well as a concern that there will be very few children older than my child in the school. I am finding it extremely difficult to make a decision based on very little information or assistance from Admissions. I have been informed further details will be available in the New Year once the headteacher begins the role, however, by that time our applications have been processed and we will not be able to change our minds at that stage. I would be grateful if you could let me know if you are intending to send your child to Brunton First School to give a better indication of how many other children will be planning to go to the school. It would also be great if anyone else could provide any further updates about the school in the near future. Many thanks

Have a look at for a little more information about the school

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/bruntonfirstschool