Proposal announced for Northamptonshire village school with no pupils to close

Evolve Church Academy Trust has announced it is applying to close St Loys CEVA Primary Academy due to insufficient pupil numbers.

There are currently no pupils enrolled at the school and no applications for a school place for September 2026. Therefore, an application has been made to the Department for Education to close the school by September 2026.

West Northamptonshire Council, which manages school place planning and admissions, has confirmed there are sufficient spaces within local schools to accommodate projected pupil numbers.

Should the application to close the school be approved, the Diocese, which owns the school, will explore future uses for the building and has confirmed it is keen to ensure the resource continues to benefit the best interests of the local community.

David Rosevear, acting chief executive of Evolve Church Academy Trust, said: “It is always regrettable when a good school like St Loys experiences falling pupil numbers, but this is an issue being faced by many small, rural schools across the country.

“Despite our best efforts, the school is no longer sustainable, with no pupils on roll and no applications for a school place for this September. Therefore, we are now working closely with the Diocese, the local authority, the DfE and the local community to close the school.

“As part of the application to the DfE, we are today launching a listening period, where local people can share their views on the proposed closure and this feedback will be taken into account before the DfE makes its final decision.”

The listening period runs until Sunday 28th June at 5pm and people can take part in the following ways:

Online: click here to complete a short online questionnaire

Write to: St Loys consultation, Evolve Church Academy Trust, 37 Thorpe Road, Chacombe, Banbury, Oxfordshire, 0X17 2JA

Email: [email protected]

There will also be a public meeting held to hear more about the proposal on Friday 5th June from 5.30pm to 6.30pm at St Loys CEVA Primary Academy. All are welcome to attend.