An Honor Oak primary school run by nuns for over 100 years could close because of low student admissions and the Missionary Sisters’ desire to teach in Africa.
The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious female congregation that runs schools across the world, will end their stewardship of St Francesca Cabrini Primary School, Honor Oak Park, at the end of the academic year 2023.
In a letter sent on Friday May 13, parents were informed of the decision and told the school’s future now laid in the council’s hands.
The letter said: “For some time now the number of parents wanting their children to come to this school has been dropping to the extent that parents of only sixteen children have expressed their first preference to join the school this coming September 2022.
“At the same time the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cabrini) have been looking to increase the education of children in areas where it is sorely lacking, for example their missions in Eswatini, Ethiopia and Uganda.”
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The letter went on to explain that lower admissions meant the school was getting less funding and therefore would “not be able to provide the high standard of education the children should be offered and they could receive at other schools”.
It said if the school does close, that decision will be taken by Southwark Council, which would work “closely with all parents” to find alternative places for pupils in the August 2023 academic year.
A parent at the school, who wished to remain anonymous, has said “most parents have gone into panic mode”, desperatley applying for places in surrounding schools so they can get their first preference.
In meetings held on Monday May 16 and Tuesday May 17, the school reportedly told parents that Southwark’s low birth rate meant as many as seventeen schools could face closure. The News has contacted the council for comment on this.
A parent said: “It’s heartbreaking that the school will potentially be closing after serving the community for so many years
“The teachers are brilliant and many have there for well over seven years.”
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However, the parent also said they hadn’t received enough notice and it felt as if the situation had already got to “a critical stage”. They said: “The schools merged year groups together a few years back in order to deal with the low numbers.
“Instead of being honest with us and saying they are struggling they said it was for the best teaching of our children.
“It feels like there’s not much we can actually do now in regards to keeping the school open.”
The proposal to close the school must now follow a statutory process beginning with a pre-consultation.
However, the letter to parents said Southwark Council and the Archdiocese had already tried to find “viable solutions that would safeguard the future of the school” and “regretfully found that none were viable”.
A document dated April 6 2022, signed by Diane DalleMolle, Regional Superior at Cabrini Ministries, confirmed the Sisters’ decision to leave the school. Parents were only told on May 13.
St Francesca Cabrini Primary School did not wish to comment.
Southwark Council has been approached for comment.