Proposed School Closures 2024

Proposal to close St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School and St Peter’s Community Primary School

In the Census 2021 it was revealed that there was a 22% drop in children aged 0-4 living in Brighton and Hove in the 2021 census compared to the 2011 census. 

The Council’s own projection of pupil numbers starting Reception in the coming years forecasts that there will be 651 excess places in 2025 and 662 excess places in 2026. Therefore, the city will have over 25% surplus capacity. 

In response to the fall in pupil numbers the Council is proposing the closure of 2 schools in August 2024 and the reduction in Published Admission Number of 9 schools from September 2025, more information in this can be found in the consultation on school admission arrangements 2025/26.

These proposals would mean a total reduction of 300 primary school places by September 2025.

Too many spare school places in the city will result in some schools not getting enough pupils attending.  As schools are mostly funded on pupil numbers, if they do not have enough pupils attending, they may not be able to operate in a financially efficient way. 

The Council has proposed the closure of these two schools because both schools have low numbers of pupils attending the schools, there are more places than children living in those areas of the city and both schools currently have budget deficits and no plan to balance the school’s finances in the next few years.

More detail on the consultation proposals can be found on the council’s website at School closure consultation (brighton-hove.gov.uk) 

These proposals were discussed at the Children, Families and Schools meeting on 6^th November – papers available here: Brighton & Hove City Council - Agenda item - Proposals for Consultation on School Organisation (brighton-hove.gov.uk)

The following groups are invited to give their views on the proposals put forward in this document:

• parents of children between the ages of two and 18;
• other people in the geographical area of Brighton & Hove
• all other admission authorities within Brighton & Hove;
• school governors;
• East Sussex and West Sussex County Councils;
• in the case of schools designated with a religious character, the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination such as the Catholic Diocese of Arundel & Brighton and the Diocese of Chichester.

The responses to this consultation will be presented to the council’s Families, Children & Schools committee at a meeting on 8 January 2024.

The Council will carefully consider all the views put forward during this consultation period and at the public meetings before any decisions are made whether to take these proposals further.