Merging Fenstanton and Holy Trinity Primary School

There was a meeting on 10th December to discuss the saving Fenstanton School by merging with Holy Trinity School. The leadership team seemed optimistic

Day & Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2024 – meeting started at 15:30 ending perhaps at 16:15

In attendance:

Gillian Roberts, Head, Fenstanton School
Pia Longman, C of E Board of Education (N.B. I might have misheard the name and position)
About 15 adults and some children

Residents Association:

Terry Curtis (Chair)
Stephen Kearney (note taker)

Update points by Ms Longman and also responding to questions from the floor.

Site Selection
- still to be determined
- must retain C of E connection (as with Holy Trinity school on Upper Tulse Hill)
  - regardless of C of E, all faiths (and none) welcome
  - all children treated equally – religious background irrelevant
  - school would be “hugely inclusive”
  - Ms Longman stated that she herself was not religious
School Uniform change
- not decided
- a very common question
Site Choice ( Fenstanton or Holy Trinity )
- number of pupils living closest to each school
- efficiency not yet worked out
- both do a breakfast club and after school club
- decision expected by the end of January
- governing bodies will make the final decision as to the site chosen
- an early decision preferred to allow for future planning, despite original 2026 deadline
Lambeth Council
- Lambeth is in “a tough spot”
  - declining rolls
  - Fenstanton has 220 pupils
  - Holy Trinity has 180 pupils (and space for 400)
  - birthrates falling steeply and many Portuguese and Spanish parents returned home after Brexit
  - Schools want Lambeth to lower its funding threshold by 30 spaces “numbers must be taken out of the system”.
  - some talk of getting other schools to join this move

General

Ms Longman was “hopeful”
apparently finds Lambeth genuinely helpful and supportive
it is conceivable, as I understand it, that both school might close

Conclusion

Stephen says “Overall, Ms Longman seemed cheerful and optimistic. I got the impression that Fenstanton is still in with a chance”

Terry says “The C of E Board of Education would be very happy with a merger. The problem for Lambeth is the 30 pupil deficit which is a projected deficit per year, so if children are at primary school for 4 years that amounts to a deficit of 120 pupils, which is a cost the Council could easily have borne in happier days. It may come down to lobbying, and filling in surveys, etc.”