County council allays rural school fear (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

County council allays rural school fear

FEARS that rural schools in the Cotswolds are particularly under threat because of falling pupil numbers have been allayed by the education authority.

Gloucestershire County Council is currently undertaking a countywide review to help schools cope with a predicted shortage of new pupils.

Figures suggest that in the next six years there will be a surplus of 9,000 primary and 4,000 secondary places across Gloucestershire.

But there have been particular concerns that smaller, rural schools were at risk from the pupil shortage and may be forced to close.

Susan Robbins, head of education, planning and lifelong learning at GCC, said: "It's not true to say they (rural schools) are particularly at high risk because they are small and rural.

"We are not looking at picking off individual schools by any means because the challenges facing each school are different."

Her comments were echoed by Steve Savory, the chairman of the Gloucestershire Primary Heads Association.

He said: "I don't think rural schools are going to be particularly affected.

"There are schools in the county which have no pupils registered for September, but I am unaware of any in the Cotswolds.

"The ones affected most of all are urban schools."

GCC is funded on a per-pupil basis, so falling pupil numbers means a reduction in the funds available to schools.

Six panels of education experts - one for each of our county's districts - met in March to discuss how to tackle the looming crisis.

The panels, which include headteachers, governors and councillors, are due to meet again in the coming weeks.

They will be considering several options to help struggling schools stay afloat - in particular the possibility of schools combining with each other.

The most dramatic option would be closure, while ways to use school facilities more efficiently to help communities will also be considered.

Susan Robbins added: "The review panels will look at the overall picture in the area and look for innovative solutions.

"The challenges for each school are different and the solutions are different."

There were also concerns this week after the latest round of panel meetings were postponed until members of the new Tory-led county council got to grips with the challenges facing them.

However, education chiefs say it was only one set of meetings following the election on May 5 which were put off.

Ms Robbins added: "It was to give the new councillors time to consider if and how to go ahead with the review.

"They will be building on the foundations built by the old administration but with changes to match their own commitments."