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Saying a sad goodbye to one of Bristol’s oldest schools
“It is such a strange thing to have to do, to say goodbye to our beautiful school,” says one teacher in an emotional video made by staff and pupils to bid a fond farewell to one of Bristol’s most historic schools.
Friday is the last ever day for St George Primary School, which was founded to educate the sons and daughters of Bristol’s dock workers when the city was still a busy trading port.
The school at the foot of Brandon Hill is closing and will be amalgamated with St Michael’s on the Mount – also officially closing on Friday – with a new school, Willow Park Primary, opening on the current St Michael’s site in September.
is needed now More than ever
St George Primary School was founded in 1847 to educate the sons and daughters of Bristol’s dock workers when the city was still a busy trading port – photo: Martin Booth
“Everybody has worked and fought so hard for the past few years, and we have achieved so much to be proud of,” adds the teacher in the video, which was sent to parents and carers on Thursday.
“But we find ourselves at the end of another school year and the end of an era.”
St George – known as the village school in the heart of the city – is believed to be the second oldest primary school in Bristol, having opened in 1847
In recent years, however, pupil numbers have fallen, with Bristol’s cabinet members taking the final decision to close the school.
St George Primary School opened on Queen’s Parade in 1847, before Cabot Tower was constructed nearby – painting courtesy of St George Primary School
St George headteacher Chris Larke-Phillips says that since the school’s closure was confirmed in February, he has felt “sadness and regret. Regret for a school that is closing that we don’t want to close.”
“One of the memories I’ll be taking away is that St George is very much a family and community-based school. A school that is close. Children that are close. Families that are close, and work together with their staff and with their children.
“I hope that as we move on to our new schools, that community feel will still be there.”
Another teacher described St George as “unique, special (and) fun-loving”, paying tribute to the attitude of the children and saying it has been “an absolute pleasure” to have been a teacher at the school.
St George Primary School is nestled at the foot of Brandon Hill – photo: YouTube
Before taking the decision to close St George, cabinet member for education, Anna Keen, said that it was “a very constructive solution” to amalgamate St George with St Michael’s on the Mount.
She said: “Whilst having small classes in a school is of course ideal, the reality is that schools are funded on the numbers of children that they have in. And very low numbers means very low staff and it means very low resources for schools.”
In the case of St George and St Michael’s, the two schools together in February had a capacity of 335 children but there were fewer than 150 children in both combined.
Keen said that it was “a far better option” to close just St George rather than both St George and St Michael’s.
All children currently attending both schools were guaranteed a place at the new Willow Park Primary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAhbLvKyJeY
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: ‘Not a day of glory for education’ as decision taken to close primary schools’
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