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RESOLVED:
 
Cabinet considered
and approved the following proposals to consult on:
 
1. 
The closure (discontinue) of St Dominics RC Primary School on 31 August
2025.

 
2. 
The closure (discontinue) of St Mary's C of E Primary
School on 31 August 2025.

 
3. 
Options for determining the future of Sir Thomas Abney
Primary School as follows:
1. 
Closure and amalgamation (merger) with nearby
Holmleigh Primary School. This would
require the closure of Sir Thomas Abney School with Holmleigh School being expanded from 1FE to 2FE,
and operating from what is currently the Sir Thomas Abney School
site.

 
2. 
Closure on 31 August 2025

 
4. 
Options for determining the future of Oldhill Community Primary School as
follows:
1. 
Closure and amalgamation (merger) with nearby
Harrington Hill Primary School. This would require the closure of
Oldhill Community School with
Harrington Hill School being expanded from 1FE to 2FE and
continuing to operate from its current site.

 
2. 
Closure on 31 August 2025.
 
REASONS FOR DECISION
 
As a Council Hackney is legally responsible
for the planning and provision of school places across its local
area. This responsibility includes:
· 
Ensuring there are sufficient school places (Education Act
1996).
· 
As far as possible, complying with the preferences expressed by
parents (School Standards and Framework Act 1998).
· 
Increasing opportunities for parental choice (Education and
Inspections Act 2006).
· 
Providing fair access to educational opportunity (Education and
Inspections Act 2006).
 
In undertaking its responsibility to ensure
sufficiency across the education estate the Council must address
surplus as well as deficit school places. It will therefore
consider how best to organise schools for the efficient and
effective delivery of high quality education. Proposals for school
organisational changes and or the removal of surplus school places
will therefore require robust evidence about current and future
need, to inform the Council’s decision making as it
implements its School Estates Strategy.
 
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
 
An alternative option would be to do nothing
to manage the supply of school places. This would likely result in
the Council having to take a number of short-term measures. For
example, dealing with surplus places often requires action to
financially support schools that are unable to balance their
budgets to maintain quality education. This measure can address
issues in the short-term, but it is not financially sustainable,
and does not provide best value when dealing with finite resources.
The level of our schools overall reserves has decreased by circa
£4-5 million over the last two financial years mainly as a
result of falling rolls; without any changes these reserves are
likely to move to an overall deficit for our schools in the next
two financial years. Any future write-off of this deficit would
fall to the Council's general fund.