Cheshire East to make decision on closure of 'unviable' school

Cheshire East Council‘s children and families committee is next week expected to authorise the closure of St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School because it has become unviable.

If the committee agrees to the closure, the three remaining pupils will be offered places at alternative schools.

A report due to go to Monday’s committee meeting states: “The local authority, through its officers within education services, has regarded St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School as a ‘school causing concern’ for a considerable period.

“This has been due to its challenges in securing sufficient pupils on roll to allow for a sustainable and affordable budget to be set.”

The meeting will take place at the council's Westfields HQ in Sandbach on Monday (Image: Cheshire East Council)St Gregory’s can cater for 105 children but, as pupil numbers declined, the school has operated with a challenging three-year deficit budget.

In February of last year, Ofsted said the school provided an inadequate education for its pupils.

As a consequence, St Gregory’s had to join an academy trust as a sponsored school but, because it is a diocesan school, such a trust had to meet the requirements of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.

No suitable trust option was available because the school was not considered a viable option because of its financial position.

A four-week public consultation on the future of the school has recently been carried out.

Altogether 767 people responded with 322 agreeing the school should close, 305 disagreeing, and 140 expressing no view.

Following that consultation, which ended on November 26, the recommendation before the committee is to close the school on December 31, this year.

The children and families committee meeting takes place at 10am on Monday, December 11 at the council’s Westfields HQ at Sandbach.