A Nottingham primary school could close its doors for good in 2026 as councillors prepare to consider the future of Snape Wood Primary and Nursery School at a meeting of Nottingham City Council’s Executive Board on 18 November.
The report recommends approval of a proposal to close the school from 31 August 2026 following two separate consultation stages earlier this year. The move, if agreed, would end decades of education provision at the site in the Bulwell area and mark one of the most significant local school reconfigurations in recent years.
Council officers say the proposal has been brought forward because of a sustained and severe drop in pupil numbers which has left Snape Wood operating far below capacity and with growing financial pressures. The school currently has 42 per cent of its places unfilled, a figure expected to rise to 60 per cent by 2028–29. The report attributes this trend to a sharply declining birth rate across Nottingham and particularly in the Bulwell area.
The number of children born in the city has been steadily decreasing since 2015, leading to fewer pupils entering reception classes each year. The pattern mirrors the national picture, with projections indicating continued decline in early years numbers for the foreseeable future. The local authority argues that where schools are significantly under capacity, central government funding—calculated per pupil through the Dedicated Schools Grant—reduces accordingly, making it increasingly difficult for schools to sustain staffing levels, resources and enrichment activities.
Snape Wood Primary currently has around 62 pupils on roll, less than a third of its 210-place capacity. Based on current funding rates of £7,350 per pupil, the shortfall translates into an annual budget of about £460,000 compared with £1.54 million if the school were full. The deficit stands at £20,000 and, according to the council’s finance team, would continue to grow without intervention.
Over recent years, local school leaders and the council have explored alternative options, including mixed-age classes and staffing restructures, but these have failed to reverse the downward trend. Other nearby primary schools have also been affected, but none to the same extent.
The city council’s education department has confirmed that if the Executive Board approves closure, all current pupils will be guaranteed a place at one of three nearby schools—Crabtree Farm Primary and Nursery, Hempshill Hall Primary and Nursery, or Rufford Primary and Nursery—from September 2026. Officers say there is sufficient capacity across these schools to accommodate every child currently attending Snape Wood.
Cllr Cheryl Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education said: “Snape Wood Primary has been an important part of the local community in Bulwell over many years so it’s very sad that we have had to consider the decision to close.
“We would only ever seek to close a school if there were no other options available and unfortunately this is the case with Snape Wood which. Prior to consultation on closure commencing in June this year, there were 42% of places unfilled, expected to increase to 60% by 2028/29, which was by far the highest number of surplus places of all the schools in the Bulwell.
“Closure has been proposed in the best interests of children and families in Bulwell and will enable us to create stronger and more sustainable school provision in the area, ensuring all local schools are fit for the future and able to provide high-quality education to their communities.”
“While Snape Wood remains open until July 2026, the education of the children will continue to be the highest priority. We hope families will choose to keep their children at the school until then so that we can ensure a smooth transition to their new schools in September.”
All children attending Snape Wood Primary & Nursery School would be guaranteed a place at one of the other local primary schools and parents/carers will be able to apply for an alternative school place.
Families are being encouraged to keep their children at Snape Wood until it closes to enable the process for children moving to new schools to be managed as seamlessly as possible. Also, by September next year, there will be more places available at alternative schools.
Parents and carers will receive support from dedicated admissions officers to secure new places, with particular attention paid to children with special educational needs and disabilities. Council officers have pledged that Special Educational Needs Coordinators will work with families and receiving schools to ensure smooth transitions, individual support plans and continuity in learning.
The authority has stressed that families can apply for alternative school places at any time, but it has encouraged parents to keep children at Snape Wood until August 2026 to allow for coordinated planning and to avoid disruption during the academic year.
Two public consultations were held earlier this year, the first running between 3 June and 6 July 2025, and a second statutory representation period between 1 and 28 September. Meetings were attended by families, governors, staff and trade unions, with around 40 parents participating in face-to-face sessions.
Concerns expressed included the impact on pupils’ wellbeing, travel distances to alternative schools, and the effect on community identity in an area where local schools often serve multiple generations of the same families.
Of 14 online survey responses, 93 per cent said they understood the reasons behind the proposal, while opinion was split evenly on whether they supported or opposed it—43 per cent for and 43 per cent against, with the remainder neutral. The second consultation period, open for formal representations, did not attract any submissions.
City Council officers insist that the decision is being made “with the interests of the children in mind” and to ensure “stronger and more sustainable school provision” across the area. They also note that the Department for Education expects local authorities to manage the school estate efficiently and to reduce surplus capacity where necessary.
If approved, the closure process will include formal redundancy consultation for staff, who would be at risk of losing their jobs unless redeployed elsewhere. The council has indicated it will work with the Nottingham Schools Trust and its own departments to identify potential redeployment opportunities.
Future use of the Snape Wood site has not yet been determined but will be reviewed in the context of the council’s wider strategic priorities. One potential option is that it could form part of Phase 2 of the authority’s SEND Sufficiency Strategy, which aims to increase the number of specialist education places in Nottingham. Officers warn that any delay in deciding the site’s future could lead to increased costs for security and maintenance and make the premises vulnerable to vandalism or antisocial behaviour.
The report concludes that all alternative options to closure have been fully explored but found unviable, given the persistent fall in pupil numbers and the financial unsustainability of continuing to operate a half-empty school.
If the Executive Board approves the proposal within two months of the consultation period closing, the city council will act as the final decision-maker. If the decision is deferred beyond that window, the case would be referred to the Department for Education’s Schools Adjudicator.
Should the closure be confirmed, the school would continue to operate through the 2025–26 academic year before formally ceasing operations on 31 August 2026.
For now, however, no final decision has been made. Councillors will debate the proposal at the 18 November meeting, balancing the need to safeguard public finances with the longstanding role the school has played in the Bulwell community.
