NEAG

[Lynn Roxburgh]

6 weeks consultation begins for the closure of this rural first school- any feedback from this area? Is it a foregone conclusion?
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Lynn Roxburgh

[Mike Brown]

I haven't really followed the situation at Eglingham but the two previous first school closures in the north of the county have followed a depressing route.

It appears to be fatal for a small rural school to ask public questions about how sustainable it's pupil numbers are likely to be. Parents react quickly by trying to move their children to other schools before those other schools fill up and I suspect that they look to town schools rather than the other rural schools. In reality schools full to capacity are an urban issue and few schools in these parts of the county are likely to become full. Shortly after asking the question governors seem to find themselves with few children if any to educate.

In the other cases the communities have been anxious to find ways of preserving the school as the surviving focus for the community but this can't work unless the parents support the community.

My apologies to Eglingham if this is not what is happening there.

[Jane Winter]

I suspect you are right. Eglingham was advertising before Christmas in Sainsbury's about open days for recruitment of pupils. It sounded desperate and so very sad.

[Lynn Roxburgh]

County is effectively squeezing out Branton School at th same time by diverting pupils to schools further afield and marginalising the smaller schools

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/02/06/fight-for-eglingham-school-s-pupils-is-beginning-61634-25773517/

Can we do anything to help here?
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Lynn Roxburgh

[edbrown]

Branton appears to be closer to the closing school.

The faith reason may be one reason but since most CofE schools are not attended on the basis of faith this seems odd that the next nearest school is not chosen.
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Ed Brown
www.solid-us.com
www.go-britain.com