Bollington school's dwindling pupil numbers could see it closed - report

A school which has a budget deficit due to a lack of pupils is to face "formal statutory processes" that could result in it being closed, a report has said.

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School in Bollington can house up to 105 pupils, but currently has only six.

A Cheshire East Council report said the "preferred local diocesan academy trust" had refused to take it as it did not consider it "a viable option".

That meant the "sustainability" of the school was in question, it added.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the authority's children and families committee would be asked to approve the start of "formal statutory processes regarding the future of the school, which includes potential school closure".

A report to the committee said the council had regarded it "as a 'school causing concern' for a considerable period", due to its "challenges in securing sufficient pupils on roll to allow for a sustainable and affordable budget to be set".

It said that in February 2022, the school was rated inadequate by Ofsted and faced a "rapid improvement plan", which was based upon "the national expectation" that it would join an academy trust.

It said that as St Gregory's was a diocesan school, any trust had to meet the requirements of the Diocese of Shrewsbury and following "extensive meetings with diocesan officers... it has become clear that the preferred local diocesan academy trust does not consider this school a viable option in terms of its financial position".

It said that was "primarily due to the ongoing fall in pupil numbers", which now meant "careful consideration needed to be given to the sustainability of this school".

The report added that "structured consultation would need to be considered, which could include the option to close the school".

A meeting was held at the school in July to inform the local community that closure would be considered by the committee.

The report said that the "uncertainty" that meeting had caused had led more parents to seek alternative schools for their children, which had left St Gregory's with an "extremely low" number.

The school's future will now be decided at a meeting of the committee on 18 September.

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