Update following a meeting of the Advisory Board to the Regional Schools Commissioner on 4 July 2022

The decision of the Board of Trustees of Southerly Point was discussed and was approved by the Regional Schools Commissioner. Consequently, work to move the schools in the trust to three other Multi Academy Trusts, based in Cornwall, will now begin. The trusts are Aspire Academy Trust, Crofty Multi Academy Trust, and the Truro and Penwith Academy Trust. The distribution of schools to the trusts is shown below. It is intended that work on the transfers will complete towards the end of this calendar year with a formal transfer date early in 2023. This follows earlier work which will see Crowan and Wendron Primary schools transfer over the summer to Aspire Academy Trust and Kernow Learning Academy Trust.

We would like to thank governors, staff, school leaders and parents for attending the stakeholder events over the last few weeks. The time given, and the quality of questions asked by each group was appreciated by both Southerly Point Trustees and Department for Education colleagues. We will be in contact with further updates as we near the dates of transfer. In the meantime, the schools remain the responsibility of Southerly Point Co-operative Multi-Academy Trust and we will be continuing our work to support our education communities, working alongside the incoming trusts.

Allocation of Schools to Trusts

Crofty Multi Academy Trust:
Garras Community Primary School 
Godolphin Primary School
Halwin School
Porthleven School
Parc Eglos School
Sithney Community Primary School
Trannack Primary School

Aspire Academy Trust:
Breage Church of England School
Coverack Primary school
Grade-Ruan C of E Primary School 
Manaccan Primary School
St Keverne Community Primary School

Truro and Penwith Academy Trust:
Helston Community College
Mullion School
Mullion Community Primary School
Landewednack Community Primary School 

Will Smith [Chair of the Trust Board] and Mark Blackman [Interim CEO]

Notice of Intended Closure of Cury Church of England Primary School 

 Proposal

SPCMAT is currently working with our commissioner, Cornwall Council, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC), the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Diocese to seek the termination of our Funding Agreement for Cury C of E Primary School by mutual consent to the Secretary of State. This will effect the formal closure of the school. 

Considerations

A significant change in the number of pupils requiring places in this part of Cornwall unfortunately means the short, medium and long term viability of the schools has been brought into question. 

Additional contributing factors in 2020 and 2021, such as staff recruitment and retention, and both locally and nationally, placed further pressure on the viability and need for a school in the village. 

From September 2021, the Trust took the pupil centred decision to move all Key Stage 2 pupils educated at Cury C of E Primary school to alternative schools within the Trust. All Cury pupils moved to alternative SPCMAT schools and as such there were only 9 pupils on roll at Cury CofE Primary in September 2021 in the newly designated EYS/KS1 provision. 

In the period September 2021 to December 2021, many parents felt that their children required schools with more children and made their own decisions to move children to other local schools. By January 2022, only three pupils remained and transition arrangements were in place so that these children could move to other schools which their parents chose. 

By Easter 2022 there were zero children at Cury C of E Primary school.

The demand for places was no longer there and any potential future demand was also lacking. 

Having considered the pattern of demand in the previous 5 years and looking at how children had settled in their new schools considered the Trust and concluded that it should therefore, apply to the Minister to permanently close Cury C of E Primary School.

How will this affect pupils?

Our overriding aim has been to minimise disruption to pupils and to ensure that they continue to have access to a high-quality education. For this reason, we have ensured that all pupils previously educated at Cury have successfully transitioned to alternative SPCMAT schools. 

How will this affect school place requests?

There have been no requests for school places. 

We are therefore conducting a listening period for interested parties such as the local Parish Council to determine whether the Trust should proceed with the closure of Cury C of E Primary and we would like to invite your views on the matter. 

How can I share my views?

Please contact us via KTeague@southerlypoint.co if you have any questions, views or feedback on  this proposal. 

Alternatively, you can put your response in writing to: 

c/o Karen Teague

Southerly Point Co-operative Multi-Academy Trust

Helston Community College

Church Hill

Helston

TR13 8NR 

The statutory listening period will close at 11.59pm on 21 July 2022. Therefore, please share your feedback prior to this date. 

Thank you for your participation.