We fight on, say Wakeman and Stiperstones schools

CAMPAIGNERS AT Shrewsbury's Wakeman School have today vowed to fight until the bitter end to save it from closure.

Karen Moore, headteacher at the school, said that staff and governors would be looking at "all options" to save the school from closure and said that they were still determined to try to change the minds of councillors.

And campaigners at Stiperstones Primary School, who said they were "gutted" at the cabinet's decision to close their school, have said they will not give up the fight.

Plans to close the two schools, along with primaries at Hopton Wafers, Barrow and Maesbury, were agreed by members of Shropshire Council's cabinet yesterday.

But all of the schools facing the axe have been offered an 11th hour lifeline by council leader Keith Barrow, who said schools which come up with viable alternatives in the next six weeks of formal consultation may still be saved.

Mrs Moore said: "We are disappointed with the decision but we are not surprised. We will be fighting very hard over the next few weeks to change councillors' minds. Governors will be looking at all options available to the school."

Faye Moore, from the steering group of Stiperstones School, said: "We are committed to fighting until the very end.

"We sat in the Shirehall for quite a while after the decision and we were absolutely gutted, but we are not giving up yet.

"We put proposals forward to form a collaboration with other nearby schools, and although the council were impressed, we have now been told to look at forming a hard federation."

The plans to close the five schools will go forward to the last phase of consultation with the next council meeting on July 20.

Councillor Barrow said: "We don't want to close schools. If over the next six weeks solutions can be found then we would give them every consideration. We are still in a period of consultation."

Cabinet gave governors at Onny and Lydbury North primary schools extra time to develop a firm business plan for federation.

The meeting also deferred a decision on creating an all-through school in St Martins.