Parents welcome move to save Buildwas Primary School from closure

A group of parents held a celebration event to mark the successful end to their campaign to save Buildwas Primary School.

The future of the school, near Ironbridge, was under threat after it was placed into special measures by Ofsted following an inspection in January 2015.

But earlier this week it was revealed a sponsor has come forward to help the school become an academy, meaning it will not be under council control and will source its own independent funding.

It has secured the school's immediate future while it awaits a decision by the Regional Schools Commissioner. A decision on whether the school would close was meant to be made on Wednesday.

It was moved until November 8 to allow more time for a solution to be found, and now the school has a potential sponsor the meeting will not go ahead.

One parent Beth Heath, 37, said when the news was announced about the school there were celebrations all round.

She said: "We all went for a picnic on Wednesday, as a way of celebrating the school getting sponsor.

"We wrote a song called Save Our School and to hear the children all singing along was amazing as they were so happy knowing their school would stay open for a while longer.

"It is such a small school that it has become a very tight-knit little community, and we are over the moon.

"A lot of the parents have all come together to campaign against the closure, and through that a lot of friendships have also been made.

"We are so grateful for all the support we have had from Shropshire Council, they have really helped us. Also Daniel Kawczynski MP has been fantastic and he has really helped us."

Mr Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury, said: "I am delighted that Buildwas Primary School will remain open until at least August 2017.

"Buildwas School is a very important part of the local community and I am excited about the possibility of the school continuing to provide such an exceptional service as an academy – which I hope it will succeed in becoming before too long.

"I fully support the move for Buildwas Primary School and have written to the Department for Education setting out my position and invited the secretary of state Nicky Morgan, to come and visit Shrewsbury and Buildwas Primary School to see for herself what an essential part of the community it is.

"I have been working with the chairman of governors and the Department of Education, doing everything I can to support the rebranding of Buildwas Primary School and ensure that it remains open."