THE proposal from Cathedral Schools Trust to merge Hotwells Primary School and Cathedral Primary School has been rejected by the Department for Education.
Campaigners against the idea, which would in effect have closed Hotwells school, said the decision was a significant win for the community.
However, they warned that the primary remained at risk unless more pupils could be recruited. Hotwells is a single-form entry school, with places for 210 children aged four to 11, but currently has only about 130 pupils, which creates budgetary pressures.
The trust put its revised plans for the merger to the DfE’s advisory board on November 18. It had already amended its original ideas in response to objections from parents, governors and community members.
But after considering all views, the advisory board said no to the latest proposals too.
In a statement, Cathedral Schools Trust said: “The Department for Education (DfE)’s Advisory Board met to consider the application to bring together the Cathedral Primary School and Hotwells Primary School. This application was made having considered a wide range of possible options, with the ultimate desire to secure the best quality education for our children in the centre of the city. We would like to thank everyone within both school communities who fed into the consultation, and those who took the time to meet with the Trust at consultation meetings.
“We have been subsequently informed that the application for amalgamation has been declined at this time by the DfE. Following this decision, we will now undertake a period of review to consider the best next steps. We will continue to work closely with the DfE, the City Council, our staff, families and wider stakeholders in considering the direction forward. We will keep our parents and carers updated and remain committed to ensuring that our pupils receive the best education possible.”
The campaigners said in response to thje decision: “The Save Hotwells Primary group are delighted that the DfE have rejected the CST’s request to amalgamate the two schools. We hope that this encourages the Trust to now market this exceptional school where children are encouraged to be themselves and are educated and nurtured in equal measure.”
• Cathedral Schools Trust has been hit by strike action this academic year in a row with the National Education Union and Unison over back pay for support staff.
The dispute was settled last month, with the unions saying the deal offered had exceeded its objectives.
A trust spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have reached a resolution with the unions on this matter. Our support staff do incredible work every single day, and this outcome, which acknowledges the challenges over the last few months, is a positive step forward. We are now focused on ensuring the best possible working environment for our colleagues and returning to learning as normal across our schools for our pupils and families.”
.