Brancaster primary could close and merge with another school

The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT) is opening a consultation into the future of Brancaster CofE Primary Academy, with parents informed earlier this week.

The move would see pupils from the village school transferred to Docking CofE Primary School five miles away. Both schools joined DNEAT in January 2022.

In a notice sent to parents and carers this week, bosses from the trust explained the consultation had been sparked by "dwindling numbers" of children living in the village, which is a popular location for second homes.

Brancaster currently has 24 pupils on its roll, split across two classes - six fewer than it had in the previous academic year.

DNEAT chiefs say they expect this figure to drop even further if the merger does not go ahead, forecasting that in September it will have just 17 pupils. This would be less than a third of its capacity for 56 students.

They say merging the two schools would ensure they are both financially sustainable, adding that Brancaster was "too small to be successful".

Oliver Burwood, chief executive of DNEAT (Image: DNEAT) Oliver Burwood, chief executive of the trust, said: "DNEAT are champions of small schools in Norfolk and have a strong track record of making them successful.

"However, we do need a minimum number simply to make them work and at Brancaster we have fallen below this number and all signs are that numbers will continue to decrease.

"It is extremely sad and the decision to merge is taken in the best interest of children and not at all lightly.

"We feel children at Brancaster will receive a better education at a more sustainable school, such as Docking."

But parents have questioned the move, accusing the trust of putting "profit ahead of pupils".

One father, who did not wish to be named, claimed several parents in the past year had withdrawn their children from the school due to behavioural issues.

He said: "I believe if the school had done a better job with managing this problem, they could have made more of a success of it.

"DNEAT claims to care about the community, but I do not think closing a school in a small village particularly helps the community."

Previous warnings

The move comes just a year after a report from council bosses warned of the need for closures due to slowing birth rates.

In November, last year, Norfolk County Council officials warned that between now and 2028, considerably more children will be moving from primary into secondary than entering reception.

At the time it was predicted this may result in mergers between schools, particularly in remote villages.

The scenario has already played out in other parts of the county, with schools in Weasenham and Marsham recently having closed to merge with neighbours.

Brancaster is well known for having a prevalence of second home ownership.

But Mr Burwood claimed parts of the county without this issue were also facing similar dwindling numbers.

Crunch talks

The trust is due to hold a consultation meeting with parents on Thursday, October 17, during which they will have the opportunity to share any concerns.

A consultation period is already open and will close on November 3, after which the trust will put together a full business case if it chooses to proceed with the plan.

It will then be up to the Department for Education to make a final decision on whether or not the merger will go ahead.