The closure of an inner-city Bristol primary school is set to be confirmed by council leaders next week. A report to cabinet on Tuesday, February 7, recommends approving a request from governors to shut St Barnabas, in Montpelier, at the end of August because of dwindling pupil numbers and a lack of funding.
It said all the children would be guaranteed a place elsewhere and that the 22 staff would be either redeployed or made redundant. Parents have campaigned to keep it open and raised a 1,700-name petition, with several fearing youngsters with SEND will struggle to find a suitable mainstream alternative.
The Bristol City Council cabinet report said education chiefs had explored other options, including joining up with a nearby academy or reclassifying the 150-year-old school as specialist provision but that none were feasible. It said: “St Barnabas CofE Primary School has been operating well below capacity for a number of years and the school governors feel the school is unsustainable with the funding available from these low pupil numbers.
