Maesbury School in renewed threat of closure
Tuesday 8th February 2011, 5:43PM GMT.
A headteacher of closure-threatened Maesbury Primary School today spoke of her disappointment, as there had been hopes it would be safe.
The school, near Oswestry, is facing its second threat of closure in three years.
Headteacher Rosemary Finney said: “We are obviously very disappointed. The governors had been hopeful that we would be safe because the Oswestry area does not have the surplus places that other areas have.”
She said that half of the 40 pupils were from the catchment area with other parents choosing to send their children to the school. One child comes from Craven Arms because their parents feel this is the best school for their child, she said.
“Four of the children are out of catchment but we are their nearest school,” she said. “I know that parents will be saying that we faced this three years ago and we won then and that we can do it again.”
The mood was very different in St Martins where a merger of the primary and secondary schools is proposed.
In a joint statement, the heads of Rhyn Park Secondary School and Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins, Richard Hedge and Nicola Bradley, said: “We believe this is an exciting proposition. A proposal to combine the strengths and resources of Ifton Heath and Rhyn Park will, with careful planning and further investment on the secondary school site, provide exciting new opportunities for all children in the village and the local area.”
A joint working party has been set up involving governors from the two schools.
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Figures from the Section 251 budget statement on Shropshire Council’s website:
Maesbury cost per pupil £4,661
Holy Trinity cost per pupil £3,132.
Which school needs the money more – the small, rural middle class school or the town school serving one of the most deprived areas in the county? Many small rural schools are just refuges for the middle class and pull money away from the schools which need it. This was recognised by the IPC.
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