A plan to merge two North London schools has been given the green light by the local council which could see the construction of a brand new building.
Concerns had been raised that the merger may result in staff cuts but the local authority has promised that this is not the case.
Brent Council approved plans to merge Malorees Infant and Malorees Junior schools at a recent meeting of the Cabinet (July 28). Both schools are situated adjacent to each other in Brondesbury, effectively already sharing one site.
Following the decision, the schools will amalgamate into one – Malorees Primary School – from April 2026.
The decision will mean the permanent closure of the junior school and the expansion of the infant school to admit children between the ages of three and 11. The amalgamation will mean a “not insignificant” loss of funding from its Dedicated School Grant (DSG) but the board believes it can “manage that” and will be able to benefit from now being able to be part of the government’s School Rebuilding Programme.
Addressing the Cabinet, Vice Chair of the Malorees School Federation, Angus Hislop, spoke to convey the “strong enthusiasm and support” of the whole board to the proposal to merge the schools. He explained that since it was first formed in 2017 the federation “had the vision to be one school” but financial constraints had forced it to put off the decision.
Mr Hislop said: “The real benefit going forward is the link between the amalgamation and the DfE (Department for Education) building programme for the two schools. We feel there will be substantial benefits from that which will help to offset the undoubted financial costs of an amalgamation to the schools.
“The loss of a lump sum, which is worth around 5 per cent of our combined expenditure, is not insignificant. We have looked at a number of scenarios and believe we can manage that but some of the benefits are linked to the new build programme – particularly the reduction in maintenance costs of the two old buildings and the ability to attract more children.”
The Vice Chair acknowledged that there are risks to the merger, most notably if the build programme is delayed substantially as the schools will have to take the financial hit before getting the benefits of the build.
Mr Hislop added: “We think this unique opportunity for a new build – or at least a substantial refurbishment of the two buildings – is really worth taking. It is an opportunity to gain benefits for almost all the children at the school now and certainly for all the future children.”
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Gwen Grahl, told the Cabinet that the merger “has the children of Malorees at heart” but recognised that there had been “some negativity” towards the plan.
A consultation that took place prior to the decision being made highlighted concerns around the loss of DSG funding – the schools’ main source of income – and led to fears that it could result in job losses, worse quality education, and that some of the land – which will be transferred to the council – could be sold off for non-educational purposes.
Cllr Grahl promised that the land will be preserved and quality of the education “will not alter”. She also noted that staff “should feel confident” that their terms and conditions will be made identical and the merger will not result in a loss of staff.
Cllr Grahl claimed the chance for the school to be rebuilt in full is an “unmissable opportunity” for the pupils, as well as attracting “crucial investment in the school”.
She said: “DfE funding will enable Malorees to be fully rebuilt, providing pupils with modern facilities that support their learning. I recognise how much the community values Malorees, and know the school will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Brent Council’s Corporate Director of Children and Young People, Nigel Chapman, reiterated that there are “no redundancies expected” as a result of the merger. He also stated that the administration is “undergoing a number of options” as part of the DfE rebuild, including a full rebuild of the site “which the council is pushing for”.
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