Andrea Leadsom Writes to Education Secretary on Southfield School

Following the public meeting a couple of weeks ago regarding the closure of Southfield Primary School, I have written to the Secretary of State for Education once again to raise specific concerns with her and to ask for an urgent review into the matter.

You can find the full text of my letter below:

Dear Gillian

As you may be aware, following the removal of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) funding by the Department for Education, Southfield Primary School in Brackley is set to close at the end of this academic year.

Recently, I attended an extraordinary meeting of the Brackley Town Council regarding this closure. I was profoundly moved by the heartfelt testimonials from parents and carers who have children attending the school. It is clear that the staff at Southfield Primary School consistently go above and beyond, creating a joyful and nurturing learning environment.

Since the meeting, concerned parents, carers and school staff have contacted me, sharing their anxieties about the decision to close the school and the process being followed. Specifically, they've raised the following issues:

My constituents are worried that the proper procedures have not been adhered to, as outlined in the document "Closure of an Academy by Mutual Consent: Guidance for All Types of Academy Trust" (Department for Education, 2023). To date, it appears that the school Trustees, Governors, and Local Authority have been unwilling or unable to provide interested parties with evidence of their "Closure Proposal," including supplementary supporting evidence (such as the implications for transportation and the impact on local nursery provision) and an Equality Impact Assessment. Parents assert that there has been a complete lack of transparency in the information provided to stakeholders and the sources of information used to support the case for closure.

Acknowledging the school's small financial deficit, partly attributed to low pupil numbers, parents and carers are concerned about the significant historical financial mismanagement and a debt owed to the now-defunct Northamptonshire County Council. I am told that West Northamptonshire Council appears either unwilling or unable to write off this debt. Concerned parties do not believe that sufficient efforts have been made to increase revenue through pupil recruitment and nursery provision. Parents and carers have raised concerns that moving Southfield Primary School's students to available places in Brackley will lead to an oversaturation of the system, with no availability for in-year transfers from outside the area, both this year and in future academic years.

Parents and carers of children at Southfield Primary School have been reassured that there are sufficient school places within Brackley for these children. However, this involves creating additional classes and hiring more staff to facilitate this, which suggests that Brackley lacks the capacity to close Southfield Primary School, a view held by my constituents.

Brackley is a growing market town with approximately 12,000 new houses planned for the near future. Surprisingly, I am told a medium to long-term projection of pupil numbers has not been provided or considered, as recommended in the aforementioned guidance.

Lastly, my constituents understand that a proposal to enhance the school's financial viability in the future by offering Special Educational Needs and Disability provision was put forward to the DfE prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, post-pandemic, it appears that this proposal has been shelved. Considering the national and local shortage of school places for SEND children, parents and carers argue that closing Southfield Primary School is a missed opportunity to continue offering high-quality, effective, and integrated education in a small, nurturing, and child-centred environment.

In all the circumstances, I would be grateful if you would please arrange for an urgent review of the important issues raised by concerned parents, carers, and staff of Southfield School, and let me have your comments as soon as possible to enable me to report to them.

With best wishes,

Andrea