Nativity this year could be our last, school says

A primary school in Brighton said its nativity celebrations this year could be its last due to a consultation on whether it will close down.

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Davey Drive, Hollingdean, is struggling to fill classrooms and has 29% surplus places.

The school has come up with a rewrite of Nazareth from Nativity the Musical to raise awareness of its potential closure.

Arundel and Brighton Diocese said that St Joseph's faces challenges maintaining enrolment levels to support its financial viability.

It launched a consultation in November which ends on January 17th.

Gill Foan, headteacher for the last 11 years, said: "At the moment we won't know anything until probably the Spring time.

"It's quite an emotional time at the school at the moment. Initially the reaction from people was shock and disbelief.

"It was in the back of our minds [that this could be the last nativity]. We made sure the nativity and advent service were very special this year."

Pupils from Year Five rewrote the song Nazareth from Nativity the Musical.

The lyrics said how the school is their "special place" and they are "fighting for our school in Hollingdean".

St Joseph's first opened in Milton Road in 1879 but moved to its current site one mile away in 1955 during construction of the Hollingdean estate.

Other schools have closed due to falling pupil numbers across the city. St Peter's in Portslade closed in July, while St Bartholomew's is set to close at the end of the year.

The Diocese said in statement: "Despite the school's Ofsted rating of 'Good' and a strong history of service to the community, the governing body and leadership team at St. Joseph's have faced significant challenges in maintaining enrolment levels sufficient to support the school's financial sustainability."

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