A public meeting has been called as hundreds sign petitionsA protest outside Hotwells Primary School on Monday, June 23, 2025, against its closure and takeover by Cathedral Primary School, included broadcaster David Dimbleby, his wife Kate and former Hotwells pupil Lila HoweA protest outside Hotwells Primary School on Monday, June 23, 2025, against its closure and takeover by Cathedral Primary School, included broadcaster David Dimbleby, his wife Kate and former Hotwells pupil Lila Howe(Image: National Secular Society)

A campaign to stop the closure of a primary school in Bristol is gaining momentum, ahead of a public meeting next week to discuss the proposal.

A protest by parents and children at Hotwells Primary School has been staged this week, and now the National Secular Society has joined the campaign, saying they support the parents in fighting the plan.

Broadcasting legend David Dimbleby, whose grandchildren went to Hotwells Primary, attended the protest, which saw children and parents unfurl banners and call for the academy trust which runs the school to think again about its closure.

Under a proposal from the Cathedral Trust, Hotwells, located in Hope Chapel Hill, will be merged with Cathedral Primary School a mile away in the city centre, with reception and infants classes taught at Hotwells, and key stage 2 junior children taught at Cathedral Primary.

Cathedral Trust bosses said they have to act because they say Hotwells Primary is seeing falling numbers and will soon no longer be financially viable -something which parents at both schools dispute.

Last week, Bristol Live reported that hundreds of parents at Cathedral Primary had signed a petition against the plan, pointing out that it would mean parents and pupils will have to travel a mile there and back to get to school, and parents with two or more children in different stages will be in a challenging situation.

Now, parents at Hotwells Primary have come together to form a ‘Save Hotwells Primary’ campaign group and have set up their own petition calling on the Trust to ‘keep Hotwells Primary open’, which has been signed by almost 900 people.

The Cathedral Trust has set up public consultation on the plans, which ends next week, and held several public meetings which were drop in sessions at both schools, but now the campaigners have organised their own public meeting, which takes place next week, before the formal consultation period ends.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in the upstairs room at the Pumphouse pub in Hotwells on Tuesday, July 1 from 7pm. “Join us at a community meeting to have your voice heard on this matter and help us to campaign for the community,” a spokesperson for the campaign said.

“Cathedral Schools Trust claims Hotwells Primary is no longer viable and must either close or be merged into Cathedral Primary School (CPS) – taking on its name, uniform, and Church of England designation.

A protest outside Hotwells Primary School on Monday, June 23, 2025, against its closure and takeover by Cathedral Primary SchoolA protest outside Hotwells Primary School on Monday, June 23, 2025, against its closure and takeover by Cathedral Primary School(Image: National Secular Society)

“In reality, this is not a merger but a takeover that would end 100 years of Hotwells Primary as we know it. Two of the three objectives driving the consultation are not even related to Hotwells: getting more space for Cathedral Primary and helping Bristol reduce primary admission numbers across the city,” they added.

“The Trust has failed to provide convincing evidence to justify such a drastic decision. Hotwells has had some difficult years with lower pupil numbers, but the Trust’s claim that Hotwells is financially unviable is unconvincing. The situation is improving, despite the Trust having made little effort to support or invest in making the school sustainable,” they added.

Parents in Hotwells point to the council’s plans for a major regeneration of the area around the Cumberland Basin with thousands of new homes planned in the coming years – along with more redevelopment happening currently on the south side of the river in Ashton Gate, with Hotwells Primary being one of the closest schools to development sites like the flats being built near the White City allotments.

“Many in the local area are unaware of the school, highlighting the lack of marketing in recent years, suggesting opportunity for greater numbers,” a campaign spokesperson added.

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“Hotwells is a high-performing, inclusive school that plays a vital role in the local community and provides the kind of nurturing environment that many children simply won’t find elsewhere. Whether the current proposal is accepted or not, the Trust’s intention remains: to shut down Hotwells. This move is not in the best interest of the children, families, or the wider community,” they added.

While the Cathedral Trust is founded as a Christian multi-academy trust, formed out of the Cathedral Choir School, and now runs the new Trinity secondary school in Lockleaze, Hotwells Primary School has remained secular, and is not a CofE primary school.

The National Secular Society said it is supporting the parents, some of whom sent their children there because it wasn’t a CofE school. The takeover would mean Hotwells primary pupils automatically moving to a Church of England school associated with Bristol Cathedral and the Diocese of Bristol.

“We chose this school for our children because of its secular, inclusive ethos,” said one parent, Jacqui Manning. “We are therefore shocked by these plans, which would mean religion being imposed on our children against our wishes. We feel the promises made by the Cathedral Schools Trust to maintain the nature of Hotwells Primary School have been broken and that the Church’s own agenda is being prioritised above the best interests of our children,” she added.

“The only acceptable outcome for the parents of Hotwells Primary School is that the school must remain open to continue serving the local community as it has for over 100 years,” she added.

Hotwells Primary School(Image: Google Maps)

Megan Manson, the Head of Campaigns for the National Secular Society, said the plan was ‘short-sighted. “These plans would result in the local area losing their only secular school,” she said. “Considering Bristol is becoming rapidly less religious and diverse, this is a short-sighted and divisive move.

“Many parents chose Hotwells specifically because of its inclusive ethos which does not favour any particular religion or belief. The trust should respect this. And the best way it can do that is to retain Hotwells as a secular school,” she added.

Community representatives in Hotwells have also demanded the Cathedral Trust pause its plans for Hotwells Primary School. Rachel McNally, the chair of the Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, wrote an open letter in mid-June to Sir David Eastwood, the chair of Trustees at the trust, after one of the first consultation drop-in meetings.

“ I attended one of the public consultation events yesterday and it was clear at the event that there was a lot of confusion, anxiety and anger felt by both parents and the wider community,” she said. “The consultation period appears to have come very late in the process and is too short.

“Many expressed the view that the Trust had not done enough to let community stakeholders know what was happening. For example, I only heard about this two days ago. I urge you to extend the consultation period by a month. I think this would give us more time to understand your thinking and consider our options. It would also demonstrate a willingness to listen, which was not very evident at the meeting last night,” she added.

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Bristol Live has approached the Cathedral Schools Trust about the campaign, and a response is awaited. When the consultation on the merger was launched, academy trust leaders said Hotwells Primary was becoming increasingly unviable financially due to falling numbers. “This is a proposal at this stage and it is very important to us to consult with everyone who has an interest before any final decisions are made,” said a consultation document issued by both schools.

“As the people closest to our schools, you understand the local community better than anyone else. We’re keen to gauge your local knowledge and hear your thoughts on how our proposals could affect the area,” they said. “This proposal is primarily driven by the ambition to ensure strong and sustainable schools in the area that will provide the highest quality primary education for pupils.

“It is intended to maintain provision on both school sites and ensure that there continues to be a school serving the Hotwells/Harbourside community, address concerns around the volume of students on the Cathedral Primary School site on College Square by providing a more appropriate learning environment for the youngest children on the Hotwells Primary site, and support the city with the aim of reducing places across primary schools,” they added.