Travellers’ primary school facing closure - Leicestershire

From the Harborough Mail

A VILLAGE school near Harborough whose entire pupil intake is made up from the Travellers’ community is facing closure.

Braybrooke Primary School in Church Close, Braybrooke, could close because falling pupil numbers mean it might no longer be financially viable, education bosses said today (Tuesday).

Northamptonshire County Council is launching a public consultation on the proposal following a request from the school governors.

Cllr Andrew Grant, cabinet member for schools at the county council, said: “The school governors have looked at the current and anticipated pupil numbers. With 20 pupils expected to be on the school roll next year, and as a school’s budget is determined by pupil numbers, there are concerns that the school won’t be financially viable.

“While falling pupil numbers are not unusual in small rural schools, on the whole they have avoided closure by working collaboratively with other schools, whether in federations or by sharing a head teacher but so far no viable option has emerged for Braybrooke.”

A report to be taken as a cabinet member decision next Tuesday (September 11) recommends giving the green light to a public consultation running from September 18 to October 24. This would include a public meeting on Tuesday, September 25.

Depending on the result of the public consultation, the process would then move onto the statutory closure stage with a final decision taken by cabinet in February next year.

If a decision is taken to close the school, all the pupils who currently attend will be allocated places in schools near to their home address, the council says.

The cabinet member decision will take place at midday on next Tuesday at County Hall in Northampton.

The report relating to the proposal is available on the county council’s website.