A Liverpool high school has been issued with a termination warning notice that could see it shut down after nearly 100 years.
Staff at the De La Salle Academy were informed of the shock notice just hours before breaking up for the half term holiday on Friday.
The warning notice has been issued to the De La Salle Academy Trust - which runs the Croxteth school - by the Regional Schools Commissioner.
It comes after the school, whose former pupils include Wayne Rooney and high jumper Steve Smith, was ranked as inadequate in its two most recent Ofsted inspections, with serious failings identified.
The most recent full inspection in 202 said that pupils at the school have been 'failed for far too long', with 'exceptionally poor results.'
However, a statement from the school governors said they intend to fight to stop any planned closure of the academy and hit out at the 'inconsiderate' timing of the notice.
The Department of Education is now considering the next steps for the school, which could see it shut down altogether, with the department able to end the funding agreement for failing academies.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The Termination Notice to De La Salle Academy Trust was taken in the best interests of the pupils, parents and staff.
"We are considering next steps for the school, and will work with the trust to ensure pupils education is not disrupted.”
The Termination Warning Notice was issued on May 25 and was triggered by the Ofsted inadequate inspection in January 2020 and the previous inadequate inspection report in October 2017.
The Department for Education said the notice reflects concerns about the trust's capacity to improve the school, including improving pupil numbers at the school.
Academies like De La Salle are state-funded, non-fee paying schools that are independent of local authorities and operate in accordance with their funding agreements with the Secretary of State.
The government has the power to terminate this funding agreement if the school is not meeting required standards and can either shut it down altogether or appoint new directors.
But a statement from the school governors pointed to a more recent monitoring report from Ofsted in March this year, which found that improvements have been made at the school and that efforts were being made to ensure pupils received their education during the pandemic.
The statement said: "The trustees, governors and staff at De La Salle Academy are very disappointed about the circumstances that have led to this letter.
"We are particularly unhappy with its timing. It arrived just hours before the mid-term break when staff, students and their families were getting ready to enjoy a well-deserved break during this distressing and complicated covid crisis.
"Trustees, governors and staff want to highlight that this is not a closure notice but rather a statement of the intentions of the Regional Schools Commissioner.
"We also want to highlight the request from the Regional Schools Commissioner for the academy to indicate the progress that has been made in recent times that would enable it to continue to serve the local community as it has done for the last 96 years.
"We are determined to present all the concrete measures and changes that are in place to ensure the continued growth and success of De La Salle Academy in one of the most deprived areas of Liverpool."
One of the governors is Croxteth Labour Councillor Anthony Lavelle. He added: "I am personally disappointed that the regional schools commissioner has issued De La Salle Academy with a termination warning notice without mutual consent - this action is something which I completely oppose as a councillor and school governor.
“I’ve lived in Croxteth all my life and went to school here – until my secondary was closed by the council at the time.
"I know just how daunting an experience this will be for pupils, parents and staff alike. Moving schools as a young person for me and my friends was extremely unsettling, and I’ll fight to make sure the boys at De La Salle don’t have to suffer from the same experience.
“Like every school, of course, De La Salle has its challenges and things that it needs to improve, but it has also had a vital place at the heart of our community for nearly 100 years.
"The school has been working hard to make those changes and, as a result, the school is now in a much stronger financial situation, while the past two monitoring visits have shown that it is making solid progress academically.
“ But we won’t take this lying down. We will do whatever it takes to help save the school and give some much-needed certainty to the students whose education is at risk, staff whose jobs are at risk and the community who risk losing an integral and valuable part of the local area."
Cllr Lavelle said he will be contacting the Department for Education to 'strongly urge them to think again', adding: "The timing of this announcement is especially inconsiderate and leaves a lot to be desired, but it is not too late to put things right.
"Now is the time for us all to be coming together and working collaboratively to ensure school makes the necessary improvements it needs to continue playing a positive role in the community and to the boys who love going to school there.”
The De La Salle Academy Trust now has until June 30 to respond to the notice and outline an improvement plan - if this is not deemed satisfactory, the decision to close the school may follow.
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “We have been informed by the Regional Schools Commissioner of the Termination Warning Notice to De La Salle Academy. As a Catholic academy, the responsibility for this school lies with the De La Salle Order and Department for Education.
“Liverpool City Council is committed to working with all involved in the best interests of the children in this community.”
