Wakeman School closure 'will bring £1m Shrewsbury education windfall'

Plans to close Shrewsbury's Wakeman School will result in a £1 million plus windfall for town schools which will receive extra funding for their pupils, Shropshire Council says.

The authority wants to close the school, in Abbey Foregate, along with eight primary schools across the county in a bid to tackle issues such as empty classroom spaces and pupil funding.

David Taylor, the council's director of children and young people's services, has claimed closing the Wakeman alone will save £376,440 per year in fixed costs.

But the education chief also claims that axing the school will enable the council to provide more funding per pupil for those attending other schools in the area.

In a letter to Helen Ball, Shrewsbury town clerk, he says: "In addition to the fixed costs, should the Wakeman close, a further £1.316 million per year would be reallocated, mainly to Shrewsbury schools as a result of funding following pupils.

"Although a proportion would go on additional funding, a substantial proportion would be available for redistribution to other front-line education uses," added Mr Taylor.

In his letter, Mr Taylor also claims that there are as yet "no firm plans" for the future of the Wakeman if it closes.