Councillors are expected to agree to the closure of two primary schools at two meetings in the next seven days.
If they do, St Bartholomew’s Church of England (CofE) Primary School, in Brighton, and St Peter’s Community Primary School and Nursery, in Portslade, will close in August.
The decision rests with Brighton and Hove City Council – first, at a meeting of the Children, Families and Schools Committee on Thursday (29 February).
Then, if the committee agrees to the closures, the final decision will be taken at a special meeting of the full council next Monday (4 March).
The council said that local primary schools had too many spare places, pushing them into financial deficit, putting jobs at risk as well as jeopardising support for those children who need it most.
There are currently 2,610 Reception Year primary school places but the council forecasts that there may only be 1,970 children requiring a school place in September next year and just 1,787 in September 2027.
Parents and staff from both schools have campaigned against the closures and pleaded with councillors to change their minds.
St Peter’s parent Kirsty Moore, who made an emotional appeal to councillors last month, asking them to reconsider, is worried for her daughter if the closure goes ahead.
She said: “The council have basically said because (we live in) West Sussex, my children aren’t their problem.
“My eldest daughter is autistic and has been really hard work since they announced the closure. She’s punched me, bit, hit, scratched me, smashed things.”
She was concerned by the suggestion that pupils move to the bigger Buckingham Park Primary School, in Shoreham, which would be a struggle for her children, coming from a small school.
Mrs Moore added: “My children will lose their friends. My eldest uses her friends to communicate with her teachers as she’s selectively mute
“And it’s not just the children it’s affecting now. It’s taking over our families and making me ill with worry and stress.”
Another of the leading campaigners, Emily Brewer, was upset that the nursery would go because the only other options in south Portslade are private.
The mother of two, who has one child in the nursery, said: “I’m devastated that they are recommending our 117-year-old school and nursery for closure.
“It’s all very well saying it’s about numbers but the report issued in January showed the nursery school has seen a 70 per cent increase in demand in just over a year.
“It’s the only (local authority) funded nursery school in the area and we have had four close in the last year alone.
“Our only viable options left are to go private, which will cost significantly more, something many can’t do, or cut working hours.”
Ms Brewer also said that she had limited options when choosing another school because the nearest had only two places left.
As well as the plan to close two schools, councillors agreed last month to reduce admissions at six primary and infant schools to tackle falling numbers.
The national Census, in 2021, found a 22 per cent drop in children aged 0-4 in Brighton and Hove, compared with the 2011 census.
A report to the council’s Children, Families and Schools Committee said that those who responded to the four-week statutory notice of closure consultation disagreed with the proposals to close the area’s two smallest schools.
Central Brighton primary schools, including St Bartholomew’s, in Ann Street, were forecast to have more than 100 surplus reception spaces for the next four years.
At the end of the current 2023-24 financial year, St Bartholomew’s is forecasting a £205,000 budget deficit.
This represents 27 per cent of the school’s current-year allocation of £753,000. The school’s budget for 2024-25 has been determined as £905,325.
The school had the second-lowest number of pupils in Brighton and Hove on schools census day last October, with 141 pupils on the roll although the number was up on the year before. The school has 210 places but, by last week, the number of children was 134.
The nearest alternative Church of England schools are St Paul’s which 1.1km away – or almost a mile – and St Mark’s which is 1.7km away – or just over a mile.
Both alternative schools have been operating at 84 per cent capacity and neither had a full reception class.
Fifty-two responses were sent to the consultation on St Bart’s, with 49 of those objecting to the closure.
Ten responses came from parents or guardians of children directly affected by the proposals. Fifteen came from Brighton and Hove residents, nine from other parents, eight from teachers, two from voluntary groups, three from governors and five “others”.
The report to councillors summarised the comments received. They praised St Bart’s for its “good” Ofsted rating, the staff, school ethos – and the risks of closing a school if numbers rise in the future.
The school buildings are the responsibility of the Diocese of Chichester which wants the buildings “kept in the service of education”.
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Portslade primary schools, which include St Peter’s, in St Peter’s Road, were forecast to have more than 90 surplus reception places and rising in the next four years.
Neighbouring West Sussex County Council said that it had surplus primary school places across the Adur district, with schools in Shoreham and Lancing operating at 87 per cent capacity.
At the end of the 2023-24 financial year, St Peter’s was forecast a budget deficit of about £203,000 – or 26 per cent of the school’s allocation of £792,000. The school’s budget for the coming financial year has been determined as £627,000.
St Peter’s had the lowest number of pupils in Brighton and Hove on schools census day last October, with 112 pupils on the roll, including 21 in the nursery. By last week, the report said, there were just 53 children in Reception to Year 5.
There were 125 responses to the consultation on the closure of St Peter’s, with 122 of those objecting.
Fifty-four responses came from parents or guardians of children directly affected by the proposals, 33 from Brighton and Hove residents, nine from other parents, three from teachers and eight “others”. Eighteen people did not say where they were from.
Comments summarised in the report to councillors raised concerns about the loss of the nursery, whether the council was breaching government guidance on alternative schools and the impact on families from West Sussex who would not receive the same levels of support.
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A report to councillors said that the shortfall of pupils and the effect that it would have on school funding would leave more local schools operating in the red.
Currently, 40 per cent of primary schools in Brighton and Hove have deficit budgets.
The report said: “Schools are funded by the government, not the council. The funding is largely calculated on a per-pupil basis.
“The vast majority of a school budget covers staffing costs. If schools do not have enough pupils attending or suffer from fluctuating numbers, this brings sustained and increasing financial pressure on them.
“Falling rolls equate to reduced funding to deliver education. The reality is that the current formula for funding by central government does not make smaller class sizes viable within the budget of a school, even if understandably they might be the preference of parents.
“Reduced and less flexible budgets will inevitably have an impact on the educational offer of a school.”
The Children, Families and Schools Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 4pm on Thursday 29 February.
The special meeting of the full council is due to start at 4.30pm next Monday (4 March) at Hove Town Hall.
Both meetings are scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
All classes should be relocated to the i360 considering that is so much more important to this Labour council.
What?
The i360 and its finances is nothing to do with the schools budget
Where’s the Support for the children and families? no one is getting back to us no one is listening to us from Brighton and hove and West Sussex You’ve put NO support in place for West Sussex we have over half our students who are West Sussex and West Sussex can not accommodate us where will our children go? You close St Peter’s my son will not have a school placement come September our 3 schools to where we live have no space but you just keep telling people there is space!!! Completely dishonest you are not supporting the students at St Peter’s and I’m sure st Bart’s will say the same!
You’ve constantly pushed through with this proposal without taking anything on board from the community our nursery is thriving but you want to shut that down without even thinking that could be a way of saving us.
Children’s mental health is suffering here and it all falls on the Labour Party our future generation is being treated like a number.
I’m still waiting for many replies to all the emails I sent!
The council has consistently ignored feedback from the community and families of St Peter’s. The whole consultation has been a stitch up from the start, from announcing it at a time when the schools are actively recruiting for the following academic year to not communicating the statutory notice within Portslade until a week left till it closes. The fact that Debs Austin and Jo Lyons think they are above the law leaves very little room for families to be heard. Do not be surprised if you vote this through that things are going to escalate very quickly.
You have not thought about the children,families or the poor staff in this proposal you have just gone ahead with decisions that haven’t been thought through my daughter who has special educational needs receives the support she needs at st Peter’s and is thriving because she is in a supported school she isn’t going to get the same support at any other school which is going to cause her distress and me too none of the consultations have been listened to or discussed I think the whole thing is a total shambles !
Labour promised in their manifesto to ‘keep schools open’. Now they are in power a few months later they propose to close two schools. You can’t trust New New Labour
Labour promised in their manifesto to ‘keep schools open’. Now they are in power a few months later they propose to close two schools. You can’t trust New New Labour.
Labour promised in their manifesto to ‘keep schools open’. Now they are in power a few months later they propose to close two schools. You can’t trust New New Labour with any promise they make.