School closure plan moves to next stage

Holy Cross CofE Primary School in Uckfield only has around 30 pupils despite capacity for 210

Plans to close a primary school in East Sussex have moved a step closer following a decision by a senior county councillor.

Holy Cross Church of England School in Uckfield could permanently shut its doors in December due to low pupil numbers.

It comes after East Sussex County Council's (ESCC) lead for education, councillor Bob Standley, agreed to move ahead with the formal process of closing it on Monday.

A recent public consultation on the plans found 70% of the 41 respondents were against the closure.

The school has capacity for 210 students, but only had 26 pupils on the roll at its last census in May.

At the meeting, Mr Standley said: "It’s about quality of education. You can’t provide that in a school, which even a few weeks ago only had 30 students."

He described the decision as "heart-wrenching" and acknowledged the emotional connection of many parents and pupils to the school, but said quality education at the site "is not sustainable and hasn't been".

Mental health support

Parents were warned of the potential closure in March.

In a report following the six-week consultation period, respondents had raised concerns about the closure's impact on the mental health of staff and pupils.

ESCC said other schools in Uckfield and the surrounding areas had capacity to take on former Holy Cross pupils and added that it intends to provide mental health support for staff, children and their families with support sessions and transition activities.

An ESCC spokesperson said: “Following the consultation, the challenges facing the school relating to leadership, retention of staff, quality of provision and low pupil numbers remain, and the county council have concluded that closing Holy Cross Church of England Primary School at the earliest opportunity is in the best interests of the children and the school community.

“Having considered the consultation report, the lead member has approved the publication of a statutory proposal in respect of the proposed closure of the school on 31 December 2023.

“The statutory closure process means the school will not close before December 2023, and a final decision on whether the school will close will not be taken until the lead member decision making meeting on 14 November 2023."

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