Campaign to save Bristol primary school from closure likely lost

Metro mayor Dan Norris officially opened a mural at the primary school in July

An award-winning primary school is set to shut despite a petition backed by nearly 1,700 people to keep it open.

Bristol City Council is expected to close St Barnabas Primary School, in Montpelier, in August after a steady drop in pupil numbers.

But parents are worried there will not be places for all youngsters to attend other local schools.

The council has said it will ensure local school places for all families if it closes.

Parents with children that have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) fear they will struggle to find a suitable mainstream alternative.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the council's cabinet said members will be asked at their meeting on 7 February to seek approval for the closure.

The small school, which opened 150 years ago, is one of the few remaining local authority-run schools in the area after several new multi-academy trusts (MATs) were built nearby.

Only 70 pupils are enrolled at the school despite it having capacity for more than 200, and the declining numbers means less funding and classes combining year groups.

The school opened 150 years ago and has only 70 pupils

Parents said the opening of two new local primary schools in 2012 and 2015 meant there was an overprovision of pupil places in the area, which caused a "dramatic" reduction in children attending St Barnabas.

The school won a prestigious national Covid response award two years ago, beating off competition from Eton College, after it provided every child with a laptop to continue learning from home.

A spokesperson from the council said last month: "Following a steady decline in pupil numbers, the school's governing body decided, with the support from council officers, to carry out a formal process to consult parents, carers, and other stakeholders about its future.

"No decisions have been made and parent and carer feedback is vital to ensure school leaders and council officers can make appropriate recommendations."

That consultation closed on 16 December and the results will be considered by cabinet next month along with an expected recommendation from officers to shut the school.

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