The country’s largest teaching union has hit out at plans which could see two Runcorn schools merged.
The World reported recently how Halton Council was eyeing a number of options in response to falling pupil numbers across the town, with one being to make Westfield Primary School an academy under the Wade Deacon Trust.
The trust would then merge Westfield with Weston Point Primary Academy – which is already part of the trust – onto one site large enough to accommodate both schools.
But the National Education Union (NEU) has hit out at the plans and said it intends to hold a public meeting open to those impacted who want to campaign against any school closures or mergers.
In a statement, it said: “Halton NEU is committed to protecting its members’ jobs and conditions of service and will fight any proposals that seek to close or merge schools.”
The issue of falling numbers – largely due to declining birth rates – has been replicated across the country, with The Education Policy Institute (EPI) estimating it could result in the closure of up to 800 primary schools across England by 2029.
But some unions have called for schools to be kept open and for surplus capacity to be used to reduce class sizes or expand Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.
The Halton NEU spokesperson added: “The surplus of primary school places offers an opportunity for children to be taught in smaller class sizes and to have a higher staff to student ratio in our schools.
“It is also an opportunity to look at increasing the provision for students with SEND, many of whom currently have to travel outside of Halton to attend independent SEND settings at great cost to the local authority.”
Government funding for schools is tied to their pupil numbers, with drops impacting school budgets.
A Halton Council spokeswoman said it had a responsibility to ensure a ‘sustainable, high‑quality education system’ with enough appropriate school places for every child in Halton.
She said: “In Runcorn there are more primary school places than children – reflecting a wider national trend of falling birth rates.
“Even when taking account of new and planned housing developments it is expected that this gap will widen over the next few years. This is creating challenges for some schools.”
The spokeswoman said the council has been working with school leaders and education partners to fully understand the impact of falling pupil numbers and to support this work, the council asked the Local Government Association (LGA) to carry out an independent review of data and evidence about current school provision. She said the findings were shared with union representatives.
She added that no decisions on individual school closures or mergers have been made.
She added: “The council and school leaders are committed to full and open communication with everyone involved in the school community, including unions.
“As work develops, there will be opportunities for parents, staff, and the wider school community to share their views and contribute ideas. This will happen both informally and, where required, through formal consultation. No decisions will be made without listening to those directly affected.”
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The NEU is the second union in recent days to criticise school plans being developed in the borough, after Unison criticised efforts by Warrington Warrington Primary Academy Trust to cut teaching assistant jobs at Ditton Primary in Widnes, it also refused to rule out possible strike action.
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