Fate of Wigan primary school is sealed as councillors confirm its closure

“Financial pressure” and “falling pupil numbers” were given as the reason a closure notice was imposed on Our Lady’s Immaculate RC Primary School, Bryn, back in October.

Now, despite the lodging of hundreds of objections during the consultation period, the council’s cabinet has confirmed the school is now in its final academic year. Members explained that the decision to close at the end of the year was to ease the process for the Year 6 students moving on to secondary school.

Cath Pealing, assistant director for education at Wigan Council, said: “The decision to close a school is never taken lightly. We know how much our schools mean to pupils, local families and the community.

“Projections have shown that there are too many school places in this area, and this has a negative impact on the school’s finances, on the viability of all schools in an area and on educational standards. As a result, cabinet made the decision to approve the closure of Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School.

“Cabinet agreed that this school would only close from August 31, 2023, after this academic year, to avoid any disruption for the current Year 6 pupils who wish to stay on at the school before they go to high school. We will be liaising with the school and parents to ensure all children affected are offered places at other local primary schools for the next academic year.”

Projections made by the council suggest the school would be in £574,186 of debt by 2024/25 and school numbers would be cut by a half in the same period. With the number of students falling, the amount of government funding the Downall Green Road site gets would reduce.

After being labelled “inadequate" by an Ofsted inspection in April, the Department for Education issued an academy order – which would see the school run directly by the government and not Wigan Council.

This comes after the news earlier this year that Abram Bryn Gates Primary School, three miles away from Our Lady’s, was shut.