Oldest school in Brighton to close end of August
BHCCCouncillors have passed a vote to close the oldest school in Brighton at a special meeting on 21 May.
Over 1,300 people signed a petition presented by parents calling on Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) to save Middle Street Primary School from closure, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Middle Street parent Pippa Terry presented the petition at the start of the special council meeting, saying the school was more than a financial balance sheet.
"The current situation did not happen overnight. Concerns were raised, confidence lost and numbers fell," Terry said. "Children and families should not be left to carry the consequences of failures they did not create."
"Many in the community feel these issues were not addressed early enough."
The school ran up a deficit of more than £400K in two years, partially because staff were suspended on full pay or absent on long-term sick leave.
The cost of supply teachers added to the budget pressures.
A council-appointed interim executive board (IEB) recommended the school be closed after only three families applied for reception places at Middle Street for September.
As the school enters its final half term, just 37 children remain, and of those, 27 are in Year 6 and due to start secondary school in September.
Councillor Ellen McLeay said that parents raised concerns about governance in November 2024, but their complaints were not followed up or passed on and were considered a "nuisance".
Another councillor, Jacob Taylor, said "The council needs to properly examine whether these were avoidable which is why we have agreed to an independent review of the sequence of events leading up to that point."
He said that it would be carried out by someone independent from the council who had yet to be named.
The school is due to close formally at the end of August, with the last remaining pupils due to leave in July.
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