Two Brighton Schools Could Merge As Pupil Numbers Fall

A proposal to merge an infant school and a junior school will go out for public consultation if councillors approve the plan in principle.

Hertford Infant School, in Hertford Road, and Hertford Junior School, in Lynchet Close, both in Hollingdean, would merge on one site if the proposal is agreed.

Hertford Infant School

They already share a “federated” governing body and the proposed primary school would be based at the Lynchet Close site.

The merger plan comes after Hertford Infant School governors asked Brighton and Hove City Council to reduce its “published admission number” – or PAN – from 60 to 30 for the 2022-23 school year.

Just 26 pupils were allocated places in reception year starting last September, with the school having 60 places on offer – and demand not expected to increase.

So, from September this year, the admission number will be reduced to 30. So far 22 children have been allocated places in the reception class.

A report on the latest proposal is due to be presented to a meeting of the council’s Children, Families and Schools Committee next Monday (12 June).

The report said that seven people responded to a consultation about reducing the intake, with one of those saying that the idea of a full merger was a “sensible approach”.

The report also said:

“There are two ways to amalgamate two existing maintained schools. The first option is for the council to publish proposals to close the two schools – and the council can then publish a proposal to open a new school.

“However, under the legislation, the council would be under a statutory duty to first seek proposals for the establishment of an academy.

“The second option is for the council to publish a proposal to enlarge/change the age range and transfer the site of an existing school. This is the preferred option of the Hertford Federation (the joint governing body).

“There is a statutory process to make what are termed ‘prescribed alterations’ to ensure the remaining school has the correct age range and that the school’s location has changed.

“It is proposed that the council will follow the second option and relocate Hertford Infant School to the site of the junior school and extend its age range to admit pupils from ages four to 11 years.

“It is calculated that the walking distance between the main entrances of Hertford Infant and Hertford Junior sites is 0.5 miles.”

The report added that the Hertford Junior School site, in Lynchet Close, provided opportunities for outdoor learning with forested areas, ponds, a full-size football pitch, a large trim trail and several playgrounds.

If councillors agree, a consultation would start on Monday 19 June and finish on Monday 31 July.

A report would then be prepared for the Children, Families and Schools Committee meeting scheduled for Monday 11 September, with the merger expected to take effect in September next year.

Virtual consultation events are proposed, using Microsoft Teams, at 11am on Monday 26 June and at 6pm on Wednesday 5 July. An in-person event has been planned for Hertford Junior School at 6pm on Tuesday 27 June.

If the merger goes ahead, work would be needed to put in toilets and cloakrooms that are suitable for infants.

The council said that it had no plans to “dispose of” the Hertford Infant School site and would need permission from the Education Secretary to do so – something that could take two years.

The proposal has been made against a backdrop of falling numbers at Brighton and Hove schools.

The council has published projected figures forecasting 2,107 applications for school admissions in September 2024, leaving 593 places unfilled across Brighton and Hove.

Unless schools reduce their published admission numbers, the council has said that the number of surplus places could rise to 692 by September 2026.

The Children, Families and Schools Committee is due to meet at 4pm next Monday (12 June) at Hove Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.