A head teacher has spoken out about rumours that a Brighton primary is going to close – just as prospective parents are due to attend open mornings at the school.
Andy Richbell, the interim head teacher at Middle Street Primary School, wrote to parents to set the record straight after coverage of changes at the school appears to have fuelled false gossip.
An “interim executive board” was appointed in place of the board of governors – the first time such a move has happened in Brighton and Hove.
Interim executive boards are only appointed when a school gives cause for concern – and given that Middle Street Primary has a six-figure deficit, the school does face some significant challenges.
Head teacher Rob Cooper has been away since the start of term, prompting the interim executive board to draft in Mr Richbell, the head teacher at St Nicolas Primary School, in Portslade.
Yesterday, Mr Richbell wrote: “I gather that there are rumours out there that Middle Street is closing. These rumours are untrue and are happening at a really unhelpful time as families start to look for schools for next September.
“I am really grateful to those of you who are putting the message out that the rumours are untrue.
“For those of you who weren’t able to attend the meeting with the Interim Executive Board (IEB), they confirmed that there are no plans to close the school.
“In fact, the members who volunteered to be part of the board said they wouldn’t have agreed to be involved had that been the hidden agenda.
“All of us want Middle Street to have a bright future. That’s why we are here.
“In fact our open mornings start this week. The next one is on Friday morning, followed by 5pm on Tuesday 14 October. There will be more dates published shortly.
“If you know anyone who is looking for places in September 2026, could you ask them to call the school office on 01273 323184 to book a tour?
“The St Nics governing body have agreed, as requested by the local authority, that I stay on until the end of the October half-term holiday.
“My understanding is that the local authority have a plan in place for how ongoing support is provided to Middle Street in the short term, while Rob is off, but continuing for the long term if it is needed.
“They will be able to announce the plan in the near future and well before the half-term holiday.
“Even when I go, I won’t walk away never to return. There will be a comprehensive handover and I will come over to Middle Street as many times as needed to ensure a smooth transition.”
Amid the comments and rumours online are a host of comments from parents of current and former pupils praising the school.
The school is not closing but nothing about amalgamation? In it’s current state, it is economically unsustainable. Nice piece of real estate in the centre of the city ripe for commercial redevelopment.
It’s not the site specifically that makes it uneconomic but the drop in pupil numbers which is what the school budget is based on.
And amalgamation doesn’t mean closure. See the other article today about 2 schools doing that. No need for 2 separate head teachers and so on and that money not being spent on one can help defray the budget gap and keep 2 schools running.
Ironic this is happenign when last year many head teachers walked out of a meeting when the council asked schools to consider amalgamations and federating!
And even if the school did close there is a long process (a) to do that and then (b) consider what happens to the site which IIRC also requires government approval to sell.
Bravo to all the hard-working staff and children! Phew!