School 'saved' Primary merger thwarted by Government!

THE controversial closure of a Bristol primary school and its merger with another has been turned down by the Government, after a vociferous campaign by parents and local residents.

- Tristan CORK

The Department for Education has refused an application by the Cathedral Schools Trust to close Hotwells Primary School and use the site to expand Cathedral Primary School.

The DfE’s decision puts the Cathedral Schools Trust back to the drawing board the future of both schools. It had said the closure and merger was needed because of falling numbers at Hotwells and the school becoming financially unsustainable.

But now, after the DfE said no, the Cathedral Schools Trust told parents it would: “Continue to work closely with the Department for Education, the city council and other stakeholders in considering what happens next and it remains committed to ensuring that the children in its care receive the best education possible”

Cathedral Schools Trust said the DfE had told them it was declining the application. In a statement the trust defended its decision to go for the merger, and said it felt it was the “most viable option” for the future.

There is now uncertainty about the future of Hotwells Primary School, because the Cathedral Schools Trust would find it an easier process to simply close the school than merge it with another.