Senior councillors approved the proposal to amalgamate of St Bede’s Catholic Infant School with St Bernadette Catholic Junior School, at a meeting of Lambeth’s Cabinet, on Monday [30 June].
The proposal was originally put forward by the governors of both schools, with the support of Diocese of Southwark following consultation, as a response to falling pupil numbers over recent years. It will mean St Bernadette’s, on Atkins Road, Clapham Park, will close, and an all-through primary for pupils aged 3-11will be established on the site of St Bede’s Catholic Infant and Nursery School, on Thornton Road.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said the schools were “acting proactively and responsibly”, in the face of the challenge posed by falling pupil numbers.
The number of children starting reception classes in Lambeth has fallen by more than 1,000 over the last 10 years. This has a significant impact on resources, as primary schools are funded per pupil under Government arrangements. The council, along with the borough’s schools, has been discussing options to address the impacts of falling numbers for more than a year.
A report on the merger proposal, discussed by the Cabinet on Monday, said: “The school roll for each of the Infant and Junior schools have been falling over the last five to seven years. Both schools have reduced their pupil admission numbers (PAN) to 30 in recent years. However, numbers have continued to fall.”
Cllr Kind said: “Falling birth rates across London and cuts to school budgets by previous central governments, taking £40m from Lambeth schools, have created real challenges for schools across the Borough. I’d like to highlight the pressure that places on school leaders and governors. They’re not only managing finances and resources, but doing this whilst working incredibly hard to keep delivering excellent education for local families.
“I commend the leadership shown by the governors and staff at St Bede’s and St Bernadette’s in bringing forward this proposal. They are acting proactively and responsibly to secure long-term sustainability and preserve Catholic education in this part of the borough.”
He added: “By creating an all-through Catholic primary school on a single site, this merger will help ensure a seamless journey for children through primary education, stronger ties to the local church community, and greater stability for pupils, staff and families.
“Lambeth Council will continue to work with any schools facing these challenges, to help develop proposals that are both viable and sustainable, so we can keep providing good-quality education and ensure families have strong local options for their children.”
Ewa Ostrynska, Headteacher of St Bede’s and St Bernadette, said the schools had been in a “hard federation” since 2017, but the move to a single site enabled them to be “closer to St Bede’s church and our church community”. It would also pupils would be able to move “seamlessly” between key stages.
She added: “The majority of parents and pupils are very excited about this and it’s a positive means of safeguarding the quality of education. amalgamation would strengthen joint working with schools.
“It will enable our school community to continue to thrive … ensure greater financial security for the schools, and more stability for pupils, staff and the local community.”
Meabh Quoirin, Chair of Governors, said the school operating on two sites meant it had potentially lost applications from pupils in the past.
She said: “Having a single strategy across a single site is inevitably easier. From a sustainability point of view, it’s extremely positive to be using the resources that we have on one single site and to maximise that appropriately for the whole school community.”
The cabinet report said St Bede’s, which presently caters for pupils aged between 3 and 7 and has a capacity of 90 pupils, “has been experiencing a decline in pupil numbers in previous years and currently has 65 pupils”. St Bernadette’s, which caters for pupils aged between 7 and 11 and has a capacity of 120 pupils, currently has 113 pupils.
The amalgamation would mean that St Bede’s primary school would cater for children aged 3 to 11, with a capacity of 235 pupils.
