Bath and North East Somerset Council has today (Thursday, 19th January) been notified that Ministers at the Department for Education have announced a final decision to close Bath Community Academy (BCA) at the end of the summer term 2018.

The proposal to close the school, which currently has 241 pupils, was made by the Cabot Learning Federation in July last year.

Councillor Michael Evans (Conservative, Midsomer Norton, North) Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We understand this will be difficult news for many of the current pupils, parents and staff at Bath Community Academy, as well as members of the local community who have links with the school.

"Our first priority now is to provide full support to the children and families at BCA to ensure a smooth transition of pupils to other local schools. We will provide further information to parents as soon as possible about how the process of transferring pupils will work.

“The school will remain open for another seventeen months, so there is time to ensure the transition is well planned and of course the current year 10 and 11 pupils will have the chance to complete their GCSE courses at BCA before looking at Sixth Form or other options.

“Going forward, the Council will be seeking to engage with all stakeholders and the community on the most appropriate future for the BCA site. The Council has already made it clear that we would like for the site to continue to be used for educational purposes, as well as the continuation of the sport and leisure facilities on the site.”

Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) has agreed to make a contribution towards new school uniform costs for those affected and Bath and North East Somerset Council will fund home to school transport for those who are eligible depending on the distance needed to travel.

Now that a final decision has been made, detailed conversations with BCA, the Cabot Learning Federation and the other local schools will begin to plan how best to provide places for the affected pupils.

Earlier this month Bath and North East Somerset Council announced that parents applying for secondary school places in September 2018 will be able to list five schools as part of the application process, rather than the previous three.

This will help to ensure that residents selecting schools for September 2018 are able to access a school place within the local authority area, which has some very popular and high performing schools.

Any school which receives more applications than it has places available must determine who is offered a place by using their published admissions criteria. They cannot offer a place to a local family who have not included that school within their list of preferences.Councillor Steve Hedges (Odd Down, Lib Dem), said:“This is a devastating announcement which will deeply distress and disappoint all the parents, pupils, staff and supporters of Bath Community Academy. Some of these pupils have special needs and learning difficulties; how will they cope after it closes?“The Council is doing nothing to reassure parents about the educational future of their children. Transition to other schools is not a suitable option. Bath schools are oversubscribed, apart from St Mark’s, which is the other side of the city. Is it fair to force BCA pupils to become commuters?“I am also disgusted that parents are hearing about this through the press rather than directly from the Council.”Councillor Tim Ball (Twerton Liib Dem) added: “The closure of BCA, against the wishes of the local community, is a symbol of the government’s failed education policies, and reveals the lack of support and action by the Conservative Council and MP.“Figures released today show that Multi Academy Trusts are not working as a model. Over half are performing below the national average, including Cabot Learning Federation, and there are billions of cuts in the pipeline for education in the future. It's clear the Conservatives' obsession with turning schools into academies is not working.“The Government should be investing to ensure no child is left behind, instead of spending £240 million a year on divisive plans to expand grammar schools.”Councillor Dine Romero (Southdown, Leader of the Lib Dems in Bathnes) said: “The Cabinet member’s promise of continuing educational use for the BCA site is welcome. However, this needs to be an immediate priority for the Council. We want to see the new school opening in September 2018, one which will serve the local community and avoid at least some of the children currently at BCA having to move.”Cllr Joe Rayment (Labour, Twerton) said: “It has been clear for some time that the Regional Schools Commissioner had made up her mind and that her so-called consultation was merely a tick box exercise. This decision, while not unexpected, will cause considerable distress to pupils, parents and the wider community. It is really regrettable that such a significant decision has been taken behind closed doors by Government ministers with a complete absence of democratic accountability. “However, at a time of huge upheaval I do think it’s important to put politics to one side for the moment. “My immediate concern is to ensure that parents and young people are properly supported as they seek to find alternative school places. I want to see B&NES Council working in partnership with local secondary schools to ensure a smooth transition for these young people so that their education does not suffer. “I am particularly concerned about the current Year 9s, who right now should be making decisions about their GCSE options. Whilst for current Year 7s and 8s there is time as the school is not scheduled to close for another 18 months, in the case of Year 9s there is a real urgency and it is essential that these young people and their parents are given the guidance and support they need to make these really significant decisions that will affect their future plans.“I hope that all secondary schools in Bath understand that they have a responsibility not only to their current pupils but also to the wider community and I anticipate that they will work together and engage positively with B&NES to ensure that places at alternative schools can be made available for children currently at BCA."