Primary school shelves plans to close early

City MP applauds reversal decision.

Harborne Primary School in Birmingham, has shelved plans to close early after the Member of Parliament for Edgbaston, Preet Kaur Gill, demanded clarification on funds from Birmingham City Council and the school.

Earlier this year, the school announced plans in a letter to parents to bring in early school closures from September in a bid to balance their budgets. It was originally believed that the funding issue was as a result of plans to set-up an annex at the school – information shared with Preet Kaur Gill in a letter from the Headteacher, Ms Hughes.

In a meeting with parents earlier this week, parents were told that due to a “miscalculation in the schools budget” they have decided to reverse their decision because the school is in a better financial state than they had previously thought.

Preet Kaur Gill said: “It is a huge relief to hear that Harborne Primary School will no longer be closing early from September. This is great news not only for the school, but for the parents and their children whose education would have suffered as a result.

Sadly, many schools in Birmingham are not so lucky and have either been forced to close early, or are at least having to consider it, because of cuts to school funding from central government.”