School campaigners release song to oppose reduction in pupils

The pupils of Hertford Infant School teamed up with local performer Robb Johnson to produce a campaign song titled ‘It’s Not Fair!’, with proceeds going to Brighton Community Night Shelter.

The 'Hands Off Hertford' campaign opposes plans by Brighton and Hove City Council to reduce Hertford Infants School in Hollingdean to a single-form intake of 30 pupils - down from the current 60 children - from 2019.

The council is also considering the same move at four other city schools: Moulsecoomb Primary School, Coombe Road Primary School, West Hove Infant School and Benfield Primary School.

Mr Johnson, who also used to work as a teacher at Hertford Infant School, said: “It’s appalling, it will effectively kill the school because if you cut a two form entry down to one form entry it becomes economically unviable.”

Commenting on the council’s reasoning behind the decision, Mr Johnson said: “Although Hertford’s results are really good, they say it is based on parental choice. You have got two big middle class schools which more people go to, but obviously more people will choose to go there as there’s more places.

“It’s a non-argument. It seems significantly that the big schools remain untouched, and the small school is the one that’s coming under the knife.”

The proceeds from the song will go towards Brighton Community Night Shelter, a volunteer-led charity working to create a permanent night shelter for the homeless in the city.

School campaigner Jane Hebborn, said: “When we were protesting outside a council meeting, as we had 1,600 people on our petition, there was a vigil for a young homeless lad who had died so that’s why we decided to support them as well".

Ms Hebborn also pointed out that around 30 per cent of pupils at the school were on free school meals and said that by reducing the number of children that attend the school, the money and funding going towards disadvantaged children would be reduced as a result.

Headteacher of Hertford Infant School Zoe McGuigan said of the proposed intake cut: “It is not a choice, we have not opted for this at all so through the campaign we are hoping it will give children what is right.

“'No school left behind,’ that’s the strapline, but we will be left behind if this happens.”

‘It’s Not Fair!’ by Robb Johnson and the Hertford Schools Community Quire is available to download on iTunes.