Shropshire school campaigners will continue closure fight

Campaigners fighting to save several county schools backed for closure by councillors today claimed their elected officials had let them down.

But they vowed to press ahead with plans to apply for Academy Status, which, if successful, would see them removed from local authority control.

About 40 teachers, parents and staff from Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins, near Oswestry, staged a protest ahead of the cabinet meeting at Shirehall yesterday.

But despite pleas to save it from the axe, councillors agreed to close the school in order to create an all through school at the village's Rhyn Park Secondary School.

Head Nicola Bradley, said: "We are bitterly disappointed and feel members of the cabinet had already made up their minds.

"I am very angry that the council leader, Keith Barrow, said that it was inappropriate to have Ifton Heath pupils at the cabinet meeting and yet praised Rhyn Park pupils who were there.

"The cabinet praised other all-through schools, but we are doing all the collaboration that happens at those schools already."

Ms Bradley said the school would now be investigating plans to apply for Academy Status and also forge links with Maesbury School, which was also backed for closure yesterday.

David Jones, a parish councillor and governor at Maesbury School, said he was angry but "not surprised" by the cabinet's decision.

He said: "We are going to go down the Academy route. We are five weeks down the road and we feel positive and have had support from Owen Paterson, MP."

Jo Humphreys, chairman of governors at Shawbury's St Mary's Primary School, said talks were ongoing between governors and education officials over which of the two school sites in the village would be used for the single village school once it opens.

She said: "The two governing bodies are continuing to work together for the benefit of the children and the local community."

Norman Aldhous, chairman of governors at Shawbury Primary School, said he would have preferred to see Shropshire Council take steps to merge the two schools instead of closing one down.

But he said: "The decision is as expected and we thought it would go through because the idea was offered up as a solution some time ago when we knew we had falling numbers of pupils.

"We knew Shawbury could not support two primary schools but hopefully we can agree on a suitable site for a single village school moving forward."

By Russell Roberts