PRESS STATEMENT

SWINGEING CUTS AND HARMFUL RESTRUCTURING FORCED UPON A THRIVING WEST COUNTRY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Multi-Academy Trust forces damaging changes upon a village primary school in West Devon. Just weeks before the end of the school year, St. Andrew’s C of E Academy staff and parents have received notification of an unwarranted 25% reduction in teaching staff time, 40% cut in teaching support time, and disruptive class restructuring, despite a healthy student population.

We are writing to the press as a large group of concerned parents from St. Andrew’s C of E Academy in Buckland Monachorum, to raise the alarm about a sudden and disruptive change to our children's education due to be imposed this September without meaningful consultation or transparency. St. Andrew’s C of E Primary was a Church-aided school run under the control of the Local Authority until the beginning of the current school year, when it converted to an Academy under control of the Learning Academy Partnership (SW).

On 9th June, parents were informed that the school will restructure into six classes, down from seven, and introduce mixed-age teaching across three key year groups: Year 1/2, Year 2/3, and Year 3/4. There will be a 25% reduction in teaching staff time and 40% cut in teaching support time. 

These moves are being justified on the basis of falling pupil numbers and reduced funding. However, year-on-year pupil numbers are up. Behind this justification lies a decision that will fracture friendship groups, disrupt learning continuity, and undermine the wellbeing of children —children who have grown and bonded together over formative years—will now be split between 
separate classrooms with little time to prepare. Pupils face being divided across classes with very different age profiles, reducing coherence and continuity in their learning. It poses acute risk to Year 2 during a key assessment year.

We are equally alarmed by the impact this decision will have on staff. Teachers were reportedly informed only after the resignation deadline had passed, effectively trapping them in roles that may not reflect their skills, preferences, or specialisms. These same teachers are now expected to overhaul curriculum delivery within five weeks, with little or no additional support. Teachers are 
being forced to teach two different Key Stage curriculums to children in the same class. Parents have encouraged staff to seek union representation, given the extraordinary pressures being placed on them.

Despite the Trust’s claims of support, there is little precedent for mixed Key Stage classes in the Learning Academy Partnership, and St. Andrew’s is being used as a testing ground. As parents, we see no evidence that the Trust can provide the expertise or infrastructure to support such a transition. Increased classroom complexity would typically be supported by a proportionate 
enhancement of resourcing but, in this case, it is being done alongside swingeing cuts. This paradox will severely compromise learning outcomes across all year groups.

The process imposed on our school has lacked respect, transparency, and proper planning. There was no consultation with parents, no presentation of alternative cost-saving options, and no explanation as to why this could not have been phased in with new joiners. The decision has been made behind closed doors and announced to families just weeks before the end of term— as a fait 
accompli.

We have seen no evidence that alternative courses of action were properly considered—such as boosting enrolment, reducing non-classroom costs, or fundraising. Meanwhile, senior executive pay within the Learning Academy Partnership has continued to rise. In its last published accounts, the combined remuneration costs for four senior executives exceeded £500,000 - enough to fund the 
running of an entire school. In fact, those same accounts reveal that seven of the 17 schools within the Trust had total annual costs lower than this amount, whilst three others were comparable. This sits uncomfortably alongside claims of financial constraint needed at the school level.

Our children deserve stability, careful planning, and a managing organisation that puts their needs first — not sudden changes driven by cost-cutting and convenience.

Our core aim is simple: we are calling for the proposed restructuring to be shelved for the 2025- 26 academic year to allow for proper consideration, forward planning, and meaningful engagement with the school community. Our parent body, which includes numerous experienced teachers and primary education professionals, wants to work with the school to explore all available options and support a well-considered outcome that protects the future of the school and best serves the wellbeing and learning of our children. We request the immediate release of the school’s current financial position, including any deficits, liabilities, or debts, as well as supporting documents, modelling, or Trust correspondence that contributed to this restructure. As stakeholders in a 
publicly funded Academy Trust, parents have a right to this information under public accountability standards.

St. Andrew’s school is special and has a distinctive character. It is these qualities that have driven recruitment, with many parents outside of its catchment bypassing a more local school setting to have their children educated there. One factor for many parents is the single form entry (7 unique classes), an asset that is now under threat. Our school is one of the oldest in the county of Devon. Its origins in the early 18ᵗʰ century are as a charitable foundation of local benefactor, Lady Modyford, whose wish was to provide an education and instill religious and social values to poor boys of the parish. Fast-forward two centuries, and in 1975 - 50 years ago - the foundation stone of present-day St. Andrew’s was laid by Lord Roborough, in the presence of the Bishop of Plymouth. For 300 years, our school has played a central role in the local community. We are determined that it remains a beacon of excellence for many years to come.

Yours faithfully,

Concerned Parents of St. Andrew’s C of E Academy
Buckland Monachorum, Devon