Following a review of the council’s decision to close St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School, the Office of the Schools Adjudicator has determined that the closure will go ahead with a modified date of 31 December 2024.
The review followed a referral from the school’s governing body objecting to the decision.
The conclusion in the adjudicator’s report was that the council’s case for the decision has been made, with a modification to delay the closure date to provide more time for transition, especially for the most vulnerable among the existing school community. The council’s proposed closure date was 31 August 2024.
It has been a very difficult decision to close St Bartholomew’s Primary School.
However, with the city’s primary schools in a crisis situation, action to reduce the number of the excess places and the structural underfunding this creates is needed to secure the long-term future of the city’s schools.
We acknowledge that this has been a painful process for children, families and staff at the school, and welcome that there is now a confirmed timeline in place.
We will continue to work closely with the school to support pupils to make sure the moves to new schools are as positive as possible for them and their families.