Published: Wednesday 2 April 2025
The Board of Governors at St Cuthbert with St Matthias CE Primary School has made the Council aware of its plans to consult on a proposal to close the school.
This is due to falling rolls and with over half of the school’s places currently vacant, there has been a significant reduction in per pupil funding for the school and it can no longer set a balanced budget.
The Council is working closely with the Board of Governors and has supported with messaging to staff, parents and children, ensuring their views are captured in the consultation. The Council and the diocese will support this Governor-led consultation process and, once the consultation closes on 23 May, Governors will then make a recommendation to the Council about whether the proposal should move to the formal consultation stage, following which a final decision about the proposal would be made in July.
Cllr Catherine Faulks, Lead Member for Family and Children’s Services, and officers, including our Admissions Team, will meet with parents in the coming days and after Easter to provide further information on the steps being taken to ensure this process is as smooth as possible for parents. This includes finding suitable, nearby school places for pupils currently enrolled at the school in the event that a decision is taken to close the school.
If you are directly impacted by this news and want to talk through any concerns or queries, you can email [email protected].