Public Consultation

Public consultation on proposal to extend the age range at Kenn C of E Primary School and the closure of Kennford Playbox

Ivy Education Trust (Company limited by guarantee 0751988) is consulting on a proposal to increase the age range of Kenn C of E Primary school, extending to children aged 2 years.

Kennford Playbox (Registered Charity; 1034100) is consulting on a proposal to close the charity, subject to the extension to the age range at Kenn CofE Primary School.

These proposals, supported by this public consultation, are in accordance with the Department for Education’s Making Significant Changes to an Academy (August 2025) guidance.

Summary of Proposal

  • School: Kenn C of E Primary (website: Kenn CofE Primary School)
  • Trust: Ivy Education Trust (website: Ivy Education Trust)
  • Current age range: 4 – 11
  • Proposed age range: 2 – 11
  • Effective from: 1st June 2026
  • Setting: Kennford Playbox (website: Playbox)
  • Current: Run as a charity by volunteer parent committee
  • Proposed: Join the Ivy family under the leadership and governance of Kenn CofE Primary School

Background and Rationale

The proposal is to bring Kennford Playbox Preschool into the family of Ivy Education Trust by extending the age-range of Kenn C of E Primary School.

Kennford Playbox Preschool is a happy, safe and supportive setting, proud to have been rated as outstanding in all areas by Ofsted, making it one of the top preschools in the country.  Located in purpose-built facilities in Kennford, opposite the Kenn Centre, Playbox provides high-quality early years education and care for children aged two to four years. The preschool is currently run as a charity by a volunteer parent committee.

However, changes to government funding, together the ongoing struggle to recruit volunteer committee members, have placed increasing pressure on the preschool’s long-term sustainability.

Kenn C of E Primary School is a Church of England Primary School, also located in Kennford (0.4miles/8min walk from Playbox). It is judged by Ofsted to be a good school and described by the inspectorate as “…a happy place. Pupils enjoy being part of a warm, caring, inclusive community where everyone matters. Pupils strive to live up to the high expectations of staff. This encourages them to be respectful, confident and kind.”  Kenn Primary joined the family of schools, that is now the Ivy family, in 2019.  Kenn C od E Primary School currently caters for children between the ages of four and eleven.

Ivy Education Trust is a family of eight schools, five primary and three secondary, and includes three pre-school provisions at Teignmouth, Kenton and Starcross and two sixth form provisions in Teignmouth and Newton Abbot – as such Ivy Education Trust are responsible for delivering high-quality inclusive education to nearly 3500 children across Teignbridge.  Ivy schools currently educate and care for children between the ages of two and nineteen.  As a multi-academy trust, Ivy is a charity with the charitable aim of furthering the education of the children and families that it serves.  Ivy preserves and celebrates the unique qualities of its current three nurseries, five primary and three secondary schools – whilst maximising the benefits for all of belonging to a wider collaborative organisation. The Trust is committed to providing ‘Ivy children’ with a broad, balanced, enriching and ambitious curriculum, empowering futures and ensuring they may develop the character and qualifications needed to open doors.  Ivy is explicit in their commitment to ensure that “the schools are at the heart of our communities – and we place our communities at the heart of the schools.”

We believe that the proposal to bring Playbox and its dedicated staff team into the Ivy family, under the leadership and governance of Kenn C of E Primary School, to be beneficial to all concerned.  The proposal will bring the excellence of the Playbox provision and offer into the family of existing schools and enrich that which is already in place, whilst also strengthening the governance and protecting the future of Playbox and pre-school provision in the village of Kennford.

Consultation Period

The consultation will run from 2nd February 2026 to 22nd February 2026.

How to Have Your Say

You can share your views by:

  1. Completing the online consultation form here: Kenn Primary and Playbox Consultation Survey
  2. Emailing KennPrimaryConsultation@ivyeducationtrust.co.uk
  3. Writing to: Consultation Response, Ivy Education Trust, Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road, TQ14 9HZ.
  4. Attending one of our events:
    • Event 1 – Thursday 5th February 09:00 – 10:00 (at Kenn Primary School)
    • Event 2 – Tuesday 10th February 17:00 – 18:00 (at Playbox)

All responses must be received by midnight 22nd February 2026.

Next Steps

Following the consultation, Ivy Education Trust will review all feedback and prepare a report summarising responses and actions. This report will be published on the Playbox website, Ivy Education Trust website and submitted to the Department for Education as part of the significant change request application.

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