The Cabinet of Hertfordshire Council met on Thursday 21 May 2026 to reconsider decisions on the closure of two primary schools, Albury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School and St Nicholas Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School. After reviewing the concerns raised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and considering all available evidence, the Cabinet confirmed its previous decisions to approve the closure of both schools.

Closure of Albury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

The Cabinet confirmed its decision to approve the proposal to close Albury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School on 31 August 2026. This decision was referred back to the Cabinet by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) for reconsideration, with the OSC raising concerns about the weighing of consultation responses, consultation-induced decline in pupil numbers, consistency with other rural schools, and the financial modelling of alternatives.

Councillor Mark Watkin, Executive Member for Education, SEND and Inclusion, addressed the points raised by the OSC. He stated that all consultation responses had been carefully considered, but decisions could not be based solely on the number of objections. He explained that the decline in pupil numbers was a long-standing issue predating the consultation, and that while the consultation had exacerbated the decline, it was not the sole cause. Regarding consistency with other rural schools, Councillor Watkin emphasised that each school is assessed on its individual circumstances. He detailed the school's persistent financial deficits, despite significant council support, and the lack of a sustainable recovery plan, projecting a continued fall in pupil numbers to unsustainable levels. Alternative options such as federation and joining a Multi-Academy Trust had been explored but were not viable.

Councillor Mark Pope, the local member, addressed the Cabinet, arguing that the concerns raised by the OSC had not been adequately addressed and that the report was a reassertion rather than a reconsideration. He urged the Cabinet to pause the decision until after a forthcoming Full Council meeting on 21 July, which would consider a motion on a county-wide strategy for small and rural schools. He also highlighted that the Member of Parliament for North East Hertfordshire had urged the council to pause the decision.

Despite these arguments, the Cabinet confirmed its original decision. Councillor Steve Jarvis, Leader of the Council, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and expressed regret, but stated that demographic changes and declining pupil numbers made it a challenging situation in some cases.

Closure of St Nicholas Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

The Cabinet also confirmed its decision to approve the proposal to close St Nicholas Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Elstree on 31 August 2026. This decision was also reconsidered following a referral from Full Council, which had requested that the Cabinet ensure the latest planning and demographic data was fully considered, along with consultation responses.

Councillor Watkin explained that St Nicholas School currently has 46 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, operating at 78% under capacity. This has led to challenges in curriculum delivery and the school remains rated 'Requires Improvement' by Ofsted. The school has a significant financial deficit, projected to rise to £700,000 by 2027-28, and has not set a balanced budget for four consecutive years.

He addressed concerns about future housing growth in the Elstree and Borehamwood area, stating that while development is planned, it will be delivered over a long timeframe and most will be concentrated in Borehamwood, away from the school. Specialist planners have assessed that there will be sufficient capacity in local schools to accommodate future pupils. Councillor Watkin also confirmed that a comprehensive consultation process had been undertaken, and that no new information materially altered the original assessment that the school was no longer viable.

The Cabinet also requested that officers formulate a strategy to address the likely impacts of demographic change while ensuring continued access to high-quality education.

Councillor Chris Lucas, Executive Member for Resources and Performance, commented that parent choice had led to the school's decline and that the perfect storm of falling birth rates and financial deficits made the school financially unviable. He expressed surprise that the decision had been referred back to Cabinet, given the clear information available.

The Cabinet unanimously confirmed its decision to approve the closure of St Nicholas School.