Brighton's Oldest Primary School Voted to Close After 1,300-Signature Petition Fails

Middle Street Primary School in Brighton will close on 31 August 2026. As of February this year, 65 children were on roll at the school.

Brighton's oldest primary school is to close at the end of August after councillors voted to approve the decision at a special meeting at Brighton Town Hall on Thursday 21 May.

Middle Street Primary School, which stands a few hundred yards from the Town Hall in the heart of Brighton, will shut its doors on 31 August 2026. As of February this year, 65 children aged between four and eleven were on roll.

The Vote

The decision was made at a specially convened full council meeting called specifically to consider the proposed closure. More than 1,300 people had signed a petition asking the council to keep the school open, which was presented to councillors at the start of the meeting by parent Pippa Terry.

Green, Conservative and Independent councillors all spoke against the closure during the meeting. Despite their opposition, the vote passed on the strength of the ruling Labour group's majority on the council.

Pippa Terry told councillors the school was about more than a financial balance sheet, saying Middle Street had been operating at over 90 per cent occupancy just over a year ago and that the situation had not happened overnight.

How It Got to This Point

Concerns about the school's governance and financial management led Brighton and Hove City Council to commission two internal audits. The first audit identified 17 areas of concern. When a follow-up audit was carried out, 11 of those concerns had been addressed, but 6 remained outstanding.

In June 2025, the council took the serious step of removing the school's governors and replacing them with an Interim Executive Board. This was the first time the council had ever taken this action with a Brighton school. It can only be done when a school is causing concern and requires sign-off from the Education Secretary.

The Interim Executive Board concluded that the school did not have a viable future and recommended closure. In March 2026, Brighton and Hove City Council's cabinet agreed to begin the formal statutory process. A public consultation ran from 8 April to 5 May, during which 1,300 parents and community members signed the petition against closure.

What Happens to the Children

Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed that all 65 children currently on roll at Middle Street Primary will be offered places at local schools for September 2026.

The Background

Middle Street Primary School has been at the centre of Brighton's community for generations. The school's closure comes against the backdrop of a wider fall in pupil numbers across Brighton and Hove. The council's own projections show that the city will have over 650 surplus primary school places in 2026, representing more than 25 per cent surplus capacity across Brighton's primary schools.

The council has been working to reduce that surplus capacity across multiple schools over the past two years, but Middle Street is the school whose closure has drawn the most significant community opposition.

ImJustBrighton will continue to follow this story as the school's final term progresses toward the August closure date.