Battle cry ahead of school meeting

Parents and governors at a small Shropshire school are to make a last ditch attempt tonight to save it from the axe.

People are being urged to pack out a public meeting as campaigners fighting for the future of Childs Ercall Primary School make a direct appeal to independent adjudicator Dr Peter Matthews, who has been appointed by Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls.

The Church of England school, near Market Drayton, is due to close at the end of the school year after pupil numbers fell to just 15 and Shropshire County Council, the local education authority, decided it was uneconomic to keep open.

But the Diocese of Lichfield has referred the decision to the adjudicator.

Dr Matthews will hold a public meeting in the village’s Jubilee Hall today, at 6pm, to hear what residents and campaigners have to say about the future of the school.

At a later date he will issue a “determination”, his decision, which is legally binding on all parties.

A creche will be run during the meeting so parents and prospective parents can attend without having to worry about childcare.

Peter Bosher, a parent governor at the school, said he hoped the Jubilee Hall, which can hold about 300 people, would be near to full with people coming to show their support for the school.

He said the meeting would have an impact not only on the future of the school, but also on community life in Shropshire as a whole.

Mr Bosher said: “We always want to encourage people to turn out, and it’s not just about Childs Ercall. There are a lot of other issues here which are Shropshire wide and we have tried to get some support from some other schools which were originally listed for closure.

“If we can save Childs Ercall it makes the case for other small schools a lot stronger, so we have tried to get support on that basis.

“We’d like as much support as possible.”

By Andy Rogers