Education boss backs Ifton Heath Primary School closure bid

Wednesday 21st September 2011, 11:29AM BST.

Education chiefs today recommended plans to push ahead with the closure of a Shropshire village school despite opposition from staff, parents and pupils.

David Taylor, Shropshire Council’s corporate director for people, said he would be urging members of the authority to agree to close Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins at a meeting next week.

If councillors agree to the proposal the school will shut and its pupils will move to a new merged all-through school at the village’s Rhyn Park Secondary School.

Mr Taylor said the merger would safeguard the future of Rhyn Park School and help the authority meet tough budget constraints.

But campaigners have raised concerns over the benefits an all-through school will bring. St Martins Parish Council has also called for the merger to be scrapped, claiming that the move is not in the best interests of the primary school age pupils.

Mr Taylor today said the authority had received 15 representations during the six-week consultation period.

View more: Education news, Ifton Heath news, Shropshire Council news.

1
saveiftonheath

September 21, 2011 at 14:37

What a surprise he has backed his own plan. There is no if regarding next weeks vote as they have been hell bent from day one on forcing this through to cover the appalling mismanagement at Rhyn Park. Not only will the secondary aged pupils continue to leave the village, this will now apply to Primary aged pupils as outlined during the “consultation” process. This has nothing to do with safeguarding Rhyn Park , it is all to do with saving the council money and that is very much at the cost of Ifton Heath and the village as a whole. The council should have looked at why Rhyn Park has such low numbers and tried to support them and deal with those causes as opposed to this deeply unpopular proposal.

Report abuse
- daveschoolguy
  
  September 21, 2011 at 17:48
  
  It’s a ridiculous proposal.
  
  Good Luck Ifton Heath. And check out the parentsagainstschoolclosure website for some top campaign tips. These decisions can be over-turned.
  
  The more of us who challenge Shropshire Council over the stupid decisions its making, the more likely they will be to do things properly in the future.
  
  Report abuse