By Huw Oxburgh, local democracy reporter
A Lewes primary school is due to close its doors after final approval was given by East Sussex County Council.
Councillor Bob Standley, the lead member for education, formally agreed the closure of St Pancras Catholic Primary School, in Lewes, yesterday (Tuesday 14 November).
The closure was requested by the school’s governing body and the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.
It is due to take effect at the end of next August after the end of the current school year.
Councillor Standley said: “It is difficult. I don’t like closing schools but on the evidence in front of me — I have looked at all the reports, I have looked at the equality impact assessment — my decision is to accept this statutory proposal to discontinue the school at August next year.”
As a voluntary aided school, rather than a local authority maintained school, consultation on the closure was run by the school and the Catholic diocese.
And while the county council was not directly involved in running the consultation process, it remains the decision-maker for local school closures.
The process began because of falling pupil numbers, with governors concerned that the school was no longer financially viable.
In a report to Councillor Standley, officials said that the governors and the diocese had considered alternatives to closure including federating with another school or schools and becoming an academy. But none of the alternatives were deemed viable.
When the school first began its consultation, it had 105 pupils on roll, 35 short of its 140 capacity. At the time of publication, this number had fallen significantly, with only 35 pupils remaining.
According to council officials, most of the children who have left St Pancras in recent months have found places at either Wallands Community School or Southover CE Primary School.
