Brancaster Church of England Primary Academy will remain open for rest of academic year after concerns raised about merger in January

A decision on whether a small village primary school is permanently closed has been put off until the next academic year.

Concerns were raised by parents, members of the community and politicians after the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT) announced it was considering merging Brancaster Church of England Primary Academy with the Docking Church of England Primary School from January 1, 2025.

They attended a consultation at the school hosted by DNEAT’s CEO Oliver Burnwood, where they expressed concerns over the trust’s decision to potentially close the school half way through the academic year.

Parents, the parish council, the church, councillors and MP James Wild all attended.

The school has 24 pupils and Mr Burnwood said the trust believes that the children would have a better education if the schools merged.

However, parents have argued that their children benefit from having education on their doorstep, rather than having to travel five miles down the road.

However, in a letter sent out to parents and carers of children who attend the Brancaster school, it has been confirmed that the site will remain open for the remaining academic year.

Mr Wild said that he “welcomes” the decision made by the trust.

The North West Norfolk MP said: “This is a positive step forward, but there’s more work to do. It’s crucial that DNEAT continues to collaborate with the local authority on exploring all options for the school’s future.

“Together, we’ll keep fighting for the best outcome for the community and students.”

The letter to parents stated: “We continue to reflect on the consultation responses and to engage with Norfolk County Council as well as the Department for Education, on the future of Brancaster.

“We wrote previously to let you know that if a merger were to take place, it would not be on January 1, 2025.

“After further reflection and work, it is clear to us that the only other sensible point for a merger would be September 1, 2025.

“We will keep you updated with further progress on the potential merger as soon as decisions are made.”