Cantley Primary School, which now has just 17 pupils, will close its doors forever. It will be joining with Freethorpe Primary. The Federation of AIM Schools took their vote after a consultation period that began in early May. Over these months, parents and other advocates expressed their frustration with the lack of adequate public space to raise their concerns about the merger. Cantley Primary will become a permanent closure by the start of the new academic year. This decision effectively ends more than 50 years of a great school that has served generations of families in the northwest quadrant of the community.
The merger comes after years of struggles between the schools to reach desired student enrollments. Yet with just 17 pupils, Cantley Primary’s viability to deliver a broad and balance curriculum was overwhelmingly stifled. Executive Head Teacher David Hopkins emphasized the federation’s commitment to quality education, stating, “Our priority as a federation is to ensure that all of our children get the very best education.” He further explained, “Unfortunately, we just don’t feel we can deliver a broad enough curriculum with the numbers as they are at Cantley.”
Calling it “disregardful,” parents and community members let the Board of Education know how unhappy they were with the lack of consultation process. They claimed they were shorted time to provide commentary on the planned merger. Councillor for Children’s Services Penny Carpenter noted the implications of the low enrollment numbers: “Next year there would have been just one class for children from year 1 to year 6 and that would make delivering a broad curriculum almost impossible.” She added, “We have to put the children’s education first and we just can’t see how Cantley can continue to provide a good education with so few children.”
Freethorpe Primary, in eastern England, has been branded an outstanding school. This reputation sets parents’ expectations high as the Cantley students transition. The final days of term at Cantley Primary will be focused on helping students feel ready for such a big change.
Cantley Primary’s closure follows significant criticism. The AIM Federation has been accused of failing to properly market the school. This lack of promotion was one of the reasons behind the declining enrollment figures that led to the closure of this charter school.
