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RESOLVED:
 
Having considered
all of the supporting documentation, particularly the statutory
notice relating to Sir Thomas Abney Primary School set out at
Appendix 1A and to Holmleigh Primary
School at Appendix 1B; the comments and objections raised by the 27
respondents at Appendix 2; the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA)
at Appendix 3; and the report on the alternative options set out in
Appendix 4, Cabinet approved the proposals to:
 
1. 
Discontinue (close) Sir Thomas Abney Primary School and
amalgamate (merge) the student body with Holmleigh Primary School;
 
2. 
Increase Holmleigh Primary
School from 1 form of entry (1FE) to 2 forms of entry (2FE) and to
add special educational needs provision for language
resources.
 
REASONS FOR DECISION
 
The recommendation is made in order to
determine the Council’s response to the 28 Day Statutory
Notices issued on 6 February 2025 attached as Appendix 1A and
Appendix 1B. This recommendation has been put forward after
Officers considered a number of alternative options set out in the
attached Appendix 4.
 
The proposals above are recommended to Cabinet
in light of the following viability issues facing Sir Thomas Abney
Primary School;
 
· 
a declining pupil roll;
· 
a lack of pupils now applying to the school;
· 
evidence to show there is little prospect of a material increase in
the numbers of pupils within the pupil place planning area in the
medium to long term, and
· 
the school’s unrecoverable budget deficit.
 
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
 
Cabinet could decide not to proceed with the
closure proposal for Sir Abney Primary School. The Council would
then have to decide on how the school’s budget deficit would
be funded beyond the 2024/25 school year, given that it is not
financially viable and is very unlikely to see a sufficient
increase in its pupil numbers for the situation to change in the
foreseeable future.
 
Cabinet could decide to delay its decision on
school closure, but this would mean that the School’s
financial position would worsen, further impacting on the quality
of education for its current pupils and leaving an even bigger
budget deficit, should the school close later than the proposed
date of 31 August 2025. Delaying the decision would not be in the
best interest of children and families or education provision in
the area because Sir Thomas Abney Primary School’s worsening
financial position would make it increasingly more challenging to
provide pupils with a rounded education that meets their academic,
social and emotional needs.
 
The Council considered a number of alternative
options set out in Appendix 4.