An education trust that recently came under fire for its finances has revealed plans to close one of its schools.
Proposals to permanently shut Corpusty Primary School, based between Aylsham and Holt, and merge with other Synergy Multi-Academy Trust sites have been announced.
A letter sent to parents, carers and stakeholders outlines moving forward with a consultation to amalgamate the school with either Reepham Primary five-and-a-half miles away or Gresham Village School more than seven miles away.
The letter – which has been seen by this newspaper – was shared by Alastair Ogle, the Trust’s chief executive officer.
In the letter, he says Corpusty Primary is "facing significant challenges” and as a result needs to “progress with a proposal to amalgamate” the schools.
It has been widely reported that the number of children in Norfolk is rapidly reducing, posing significant challenges for schools as funding for them is based upon the number of children they have.
Associated documentation with the letter goes on to say the number of children attending Corpusty Primary has reduced significantly, due to a reduction of children in the catchment area.
At present there are 31 children on the role at the school. In 2014/15 and 2015/16 this number peaked at 103 students.
Attendance at Corpusty Primary is projected to continue to fall, with just 17 expected to attend for 2032/33.
The document adds: “The low numbers of children attending Corpusty Primary School mean that it is financially unviable in its present structure.
“Within the years 2025 to 2028 the cumulative deficit will be £300,860.00.”
If the closure goes ahead then the school would close on September 1, 2026, with a view to developing the site and reopening it the following year as a provision for children with special educational needs.
Some staff may also face redundancy, but the Trust said it is “confident” many at risk could be redeployed within the local area.
The public consultation will close at 4pm on February 10. Ahead of this, the Trust will be holding open mornings and public meetings for people to come and discuss the proposals.
A spokesperson for Synergy MAT said: "Many schools and Trusts are facing significant challenges due to increasing costs and a decline in the number of pupils in Norfolk, which is set to continue for at least the next five years. This picture is not unique to Synergy and is mirrored in schools across the county.
"We are at the beginning of staff consultations across our schools, and it is not appropriate to go into the specifics until these consultations have concluded.
"Options include reductions in staffing, alterations to management structures and reducing non-staff costs wherever possible. We understand these changes may cause concern for staff, parents and pupils but our focus is on ensuring we continue to provide excellent teaching and learning across all Synergy schools.
"There is, therefore, a proposal to temporarily suspend all provision at the school with current and future pupils being allocated places at neighbouring schools. We are currently consulting and liaising with all parents and the wider community regarding the details.
"In the past year, as part of the first phase of its transformation and financial stability programme, the Trust made £2m in savings but, unfortunately, more savings are required in the future.”
A TRUST UNDER FIRE
Last year, Louise Lee, the head of the academy trust - which runs 15 schools - stepped down with immediate effect amid serious concerns over its finances.
Synergy MAT, which has schools across Norfolk, had previously announced plans to cut teaching and support staff to offset its £2.7m deficit.
In December 2024, Synergy told parents it was facing "a significant number of financial challenges".
It said it planned to launch a comprehensive review to fill its deficit and construct a three-year phased programme aimed at ensuring financial stability.
The Trust's plans included cuts to teaching and support staff, while reducing school curricula.
Initial redundancy plans detailed 30 losses across three schools - Reepham High School, Litcham School and Sheringham High School.
The Trust said "difficult and sensitive" decisions were necessary because of increased costs and reduced funding due to falling birth rates.
In December 2024, more than 100 parents and pupils protested against the changes outside Reepham High School to show support for teachers. A month later, 39 parents signed a letter calling for Ms Lee to resign.
The Trust said it hoped to become financially stable in the long-term and would achieve this while maintaining a duty of care to staff and minimizing disruption to pupils.
THE LETTER IN FULL
Dear Parents, Carers and Stakeholders.
Re: Consultation on the proposal to amalgamate Corpusty Primary School with either Reepham Primary and Nursery School or Gresham Village School and Nursery.
I am writing to let you know that we are facing significant challenges at Corpusty Primary School, which we have detailed for you in the attached document. Due to these challenges, we need to progress with a proposal to amalgamate Corpusty Primary with either Reepham Primary and Nursery School or Gresham Village School and Nursery.
Whilst recent changes have led to significant improvements across the School, the School continues to face serious challenges due to extremely low pupil numbers. This means the School is in a position where sustaining the high quality education for all pupils will become an even greater challenge, as well as facing continued financial deficit and vulnerability.
Unfortunately, the current low pupil numbers, along with the projected reduction of these numbers in future, means this consultation is needed now to consider the best solutions for our pupils.
Our proposal (pending the consultation and a final decision from the Department for Education), will result in the pupils from Corpusty Primary School moving to another school in September 2026. We understand that this is disappointing and upsetting for everyone involved in our school community; this is not something we would ever have chosen to enforce. I hope you will see that the pressures outlined in the attached document make the reasons for this unavoidable action clear.
Whilst we know this situation is incredibly disappointing, our intention (pending the outcome of this consultation) would be to use the School Site in future to provide much needed specialist support for pupils in the local area with special educational needs.
It is always our wish to work with staff, parents, carers and the community and, as such, we want to consult broadly with all relevant stakeholders. Attached to this letter is the consultation document, which outlines the reasons and options going forward. We encourage you read this document and respond to the consultation with your thoughts and ideas.
Yours sincerely,
Alastair Ogle
Chief Executive Office.
