Plans to close primary school near Heathfield set to proceed

Recommendations for both Broad Oak Community Primary School and Fletching Primary School will be considered by East Sussex County Council’s lead member for education at a meeting next Monday (December 23).

Earlier this year the county council held a consultation on the future of both schools, with closures proposed in a bid to reduce the number of surplus places in each area.

Now officers are recommending a statutory proposal for the closure of Broad Oak is published, while plans to close Fletching are stopped.

Broad Oak Action Group, which has been fighting against any closure, has sent an open letter to the lead member Bob Standley in advance of Monday’s meeting.

They express the hope he will go against the officer recommendation and vote so that ‘our magnificent school will remain open’.

The letter argues that the ‘only correct and fair decision would be the continuation of educational provision through Broad Oak School’.

It concludes: “You can stop this now by making the right decision on the 23rd December 2019 – that decision is to keep Broad Oak Community School open and thriving for generations to come, manage the increase in population, maintain a level of appropriate resource and invest in the known growth in population in this locality for the next 25 years. Broad Oak adds real value and real choice.

“Closing us down would be an act of low value, short termism to the extreme, a confirmation of the real intention of this proposition and a denial of genuine community choice.”

Stuart Gallimore, director for children’s services, said: “We appreciate each and every response we received to the consultation and would like to reassure people that their views were carefully considered alongside the council’s statutory duties.

“It is vital that we support all of our rural schools to ensure they are financially able to deliver a high quality education that meets the needs of their local community.

“We understand the enormity of the recommendation for Broad Oak Community Primary School, but not taking this action will do nothing to alleviate the problems faced, and could lead to more widespread uncertainty and difficulties for other schools in the local area.”

Broad Oak Community Primary School has been undersubscribed for the last five years and nearly two thirds of pupils at the school living outside the school’s community area.

The governing board’s three year budget plan shows a £203,435 deficit by 2021/22, despite the school already having restructured in September 2019 to make savings, and with pupil numbers not expected to rise.

With surplus school places available at others schools in the area, the proposals include the extension of the Heathfield community area to incorporate Broad Oak community area allowing parents and carers to express preference for a place at an alternative school.

The publication of the statutory proposal would open up a four week period of representation where people can make further comment. It is expected that a final decision on the proposals would be taken by lead member in March.

Since the launch of the consultation, Fletching CE Primary School’s PTA has been actively fundraising to try to address a predicted budget deficit of £145,863 by 2021/22 and have funding commitments of £74,368.

Governors at the school assume the school will pick-up additional pupils from new house building in the surrounding area, further alleviating pressure on budgets, although the county council’s own forecasts do not match that of the governors.

While the authority believes the school remains in a vulnerable position, it recommends that the consultation into its closure be stopped, giving the governing body the opportunity to address the budget challenge and explore sustainable strategies to attract more pupils to the school.

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