A crunch meeting to outline the findings of an investigation looking at the fate of Shropshire’s schools will be held next week.

Headteachers and chairs of governors in the county will meet to discuss the findings of a report of the independent policy commission which was set up last year after huge public protests at plans of the former Shropshire County Council to close 22 small schools in a bid to tackle falling pupil numbers and loss of funding.

A series of three meetings, covering the north, central area and south of Shropshire, will be held during next week for the heads and governors.

Feedback from these sessions will then be presented on September 16 to a Shropshire Council scrutiny committee. A cross-party group of councillors is also taking a detailed look at the report findings.

Cecilia Motley, cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said today: “We are keen to ensure that any decisions we take, we take together.”

One of the report’s key findings is that Shropshire Council should consider more school mergers and the “federation” of others. Sixteen have already merged.

The report calls on the council to develop a new vision for its schools which will see much stronger co-operation between them and stronger links developed with the community.