FIGHTING PROPOSED SCHOOL CLOSURE... HELP

[soames]

Our local authority have outlined a proposal to close our village primary school and nursery. We plan to fight this every step of the way and have full community support as well as local councilors and MSPs. I would be grateful if there is anyone out there who may have had experience of fighting school closure in the past and is willing to share that experience and pass on any tips etc thought to be of use.
It is a small rural school vital to the local community as a whole and we are very passionate about retaining it.

Why are they closing it? Is it deemed too small? I can't really help you but there was a lot of talk in my local area (Romsey) 18 months ago about a mass reorganisation in the area involving the closure of a small village school, the joining together of an infants and juniors OR it's closure as well. The closures didn't happen but the amalgamation did. Our schools did OK out of it in that some parents at the threatened schools took fright and enrolled the DCs at ours thus ensuring the survival of ours (there are 130 kids at the Infants which was designed to take 270!)- oh and the increasingly likely plans to build a 700 home estate very near our school!

ANYWAY, the small C of E village primary, in Hampshire survived with a now growing roll. They put up a good fight and though the LEA were hell bent on closure, it survived. The issue was, I believe, a previous headteacher who took their lay-preaching/commitment to God thing rather more seriously than the educational standards at the school and the largely well to do parents took their kids out in droves.

It's now in full recovery though the amalgamation of the infant and junior school hasn't gone so well.

DW helped to save our local suburban school about 5 years ago. The LA changed from three-tier (Lower-Middle-Senior) schools to the more common 2-tier system. Every middle school (8-13) had to change into a Junior (4-11) or a Senior (11+). Some Lower schools then became surplus to requirements, including DS's. The parents set up a committee and then made counter proposals for every reason given by the LA, e.g.

1. the site was too small for further building work - an architect drew plans showing that was not true
2. average journey to schools would not increase. They showed car journeys would increase, contrary to council policy
3. The school roll was falling - that was due to a poor head and to the 3-tier system. Parents took their children out before age 8 to go private or so they could get into out-of-borough secondary schools at 11
4. There was no support for the school - the committee got a large petition from parents.

This is in a very middle class affluent neighbourhood, so the committee could always find resources and parents from the right professions to challenge anything the LA said. The school was saved, a new better head was appointed, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Good luck!