Emotional rollercoaster as school closures upheld

A head teacher whose school closure has been confirmed has said the last few months have been an "emotional rollercoaster".

A scrutiny committee at Hertfordshire County Council said the proposed closure of Albury Primary School near Bishop's Stortford, and St Nicholas Primary in Elstree, needed to be reviewed.

But the council has decided not to reverse the decisions.

Kate Johnston-Grant, the head teacher at St Nicholas, said pupils would be supported "until the very end of our journey".

The two schools are being closed because of their low pupil numbers.

St Nicholas has 46 children, while Albury has just 11 in the main school and two in the nursery.

Thursday's meeting of the council's cabinet heard that, as educational settings were mainly funded on a per-pupil basis, both schools had significant financial problems.

St Nicholas had a deficit of £372,000, which was expected to rise to £700,000 within three years, while Albury's deficit was about 42% of its annual budget.

The decisions to close both schools had been reviewed by the scrutiny committee, which called for more clarity about how consultation responses were considered and how the impact of the closure plan on pupil numbers would be mitigated.

Conservative councillor Mark Pope told the meeting the issues raised by the committee had not been addressed, and the cabinet would be "letting down the parents" of children.

But the cabinet said there was no viable alternative to shutting the schools.

Liberal Democrat Mark Watkin, the council's executive member for education, said all feedback was "fully reviewed" and pupil numbers were "consistently low for several years".

Johnston-Grant said: "I am deeply grateful to the families who have stood by us for so long, and to our dedicated staff, who throughout this difficult and emotional rollercoaster have remained committed, loyal, and true to the school.

"While difficult changes lie ahead, we will continue to move forward together with strength, dignity, and care, supporting the children who remain with us until the very end of our journey as a school community."

Steve Jarvis, the Lib Dem leader of the council, said the authority would work closely with staff and parents to ensure children found an alternative school from September.

"We acknowledge the strong community support for both schools, but our priority must be to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for all our children," he said.

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