Village schools in 'closure threat'

The National Association for Small Schools (NASS) says between 100 and 300 schools across the United Kingdom could shut their doors.

It warns there is an "infectious official line spreading across the UK" with pressure on councils not only to cut the number of spare places but also not to have too many schools.

In 1998 then School Standards Minister Stephen Byers pledged to end the "stream of closures" that had seen more than 450 village schools lost in the preceding 15 years. He said that in future there would be a "presumption against closure" and all closures proposed by local education authorities would be "called in" by the secretary of state.

A spokesman for the NASS said: "There is a perverse contradiction in government policy and priority that local authorities are exploiting to justify starkly ill-informed attacks on the worth of small schools.

"NASS argues the overwhelming body of evidence of small school worth is needed by all our children, in town and country alike.

"With evident growing concern for family life, community harmony, early years and childhood itself, as well as better results (in small schools) it is damaging beyond belief to allow myopic local authorities to bludgeon these proposals through, erasing excellence."

The organisation says more than a dozen counties are currently involved in closures with more possible. It highlights Shropshire, Hertfordshire and Gwynedd as areas where councils are attempting to close smaller schools.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities, Schools and Families said: "Decisions on changes to local school provision and organisation are made locally and ministers have no role in the process.

"Primary pupil numbers have fallen by approximately 10% since 1999, due to demographic shift and a declining birth rate. This presents both challenges and opportunities to local authorities to reassess how they organise and divide their schools. To support this they have unprecedented levels of capital funding. We are clear that there needs to be a strong case for closure of any rural primary school and it must be in the best interests of education provision in the local area."