Pontville School, an independent specialist day school in Ormskirk, is facing turmoil after five staff members were suspended and more than 20 staff are being made redundant. The school, operated by the Witherslack Group, provides education for young people with special educational needs, catering to what it describes as 'the most complex neurodiverse young people.'
Staff Morale at 'Shocking' Levels
A staff member told the ECHO: 'Staff morale is shocking and there is an environment of fear and distress. Five staff members have been suspended under questionable circumstances.' The school confirmed the suspensions but said they are unrelated to the redundancies and are solely due to individual staff conduct.
The redundancies affect seven teachers, 12 teaching assistants, and two administrative staff, according to sources. Pontville bosses did not dispute these numbers. The school's pupil numbers have dropped from around 155 to 100, prompting the staffing review.
School Response and Support Measures
A spokesperson for Pontville School said: 'Following a review of staffing requirements based on projected pupil numbers, we have made the difficult decision to reduce staffing levels at Pontville School. We are supporting colleagues who have been impacted to find alternative employment opportunities, including vacancies at related schools in the region.'
Sources close to the school said the decision was not taken lightly and followed extensive consultation and financial planning. The school insists staffing reductions are not proportional to the drop in pupil numbers, and students will continue to benefit from high staffing ratios.
Quality of Provision Unaffected
The spokesperson added: 'Pontville School continues to serve the special educational needs of the most complex neurodiverse young people, and its focus remains on providing the highest-quality education and care. These changes will not affect the provision or support our young people benefit from, and will not impact the high ratios of specialist teaching and pastoral support at Pontville School.'
Pontville School maintains a Good Ofsted rating and continues to accept admissions. Support is being given to affected employees, with vacancies at related schools in the region frozen to allow them to apply ahead of the new academic year.
