Issue - meetings

To consider the rationale behind the proposal to close the school and the representation responses received during the Statutory Notice publication period and decide whether to proceed with the closure of Camerton Church School.

Councillor Paul May introduced this item by thanking the officers for the report.  Councillor May also said that the Council had tried to keep the school open but pupil numbers had been falling for several years and for September 2017 only seven pupils in total were on roll.  Despite the efforts of the Governing Body over the years to increase pupil numbers through publicity, open days, providing a pre-school nursery on site, working closely with other small schools and eventually becoming part of a federation of three schools, pupil numbers had gradually reduced.  At this size, the Governing Body believed it would be extremely difficult to provide a rounded education that would meet the academic, social and emotional needs of the pupils at the school. As schools were funded on a per pupil basis, with such small numbers year on year, the budget to operate the school had continued to diminish. This made it very difficult to provide a rich and engaging curriculum and opportunities for pupils to achieve high standards in their learning and to develop social friendship groups. The Governing Body had therefore concluded that the school was no longer viable either educationally or financially and had taken the difficult decision to propose closing the school.

Councillor Paul May moved the recommendations.

Councillor Charles Gerrish seconded the motion by saying that the school could not operate economically and educationally and that the transport for the remaining seven children would be provided between home and allocated school at Shoscombe in line with the current Home to School Transport Policy.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed with the closure of Camerton Church School on 31 August 2018.