Council proposes to consult on closure of Buildwas Primary School

Buildwas Primary School was placed in special measures following its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2015. Prior to this the school had been judged to ‘require improvement’.

Shropshire Council says it is working very closely with the governors and the temporary acting headteachers to make improvements to the quality of provision for the 71 pupils who currently attend the school.

In fact, the progress being made by the school was recognised during the recent monitoring visit when Her Majesty’s Inspector commented positively on the steps governors are taking to address “the shortcomings in the school.”

A report outlining the reasons for the proposed closure will be considered by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services on Monday 13 July 2015 – asking that she approves a proposal to formally consult on the closure of Buildwas Primary School in August 2016.

If the proposal to consult is agreed, a six-week consultation will take place from 7 September to 18 October 2015. The outcomes of this consultation will then be given full consideration by Shropshire Council.

This consultation would provide an opportunity to consider a wide range of factors relating to the school, including the limitations of the school site, the good quality of alternative provision available to pupils and their families, the sustainability and viability of current arrangements, and the falling pupil numbers.

Karen Bradshaw, Shropshire Council’s director of children’s services, said:

“Our priority is to provide the best standard of education for all children across Shropshire. We have to give careful consideration to the longer term plans for securing effective and sustainable, high-quality provision for children in the Buildwas area. This consultation will help to inform our decision-making.”

Currently only a half of eligible pupils in the catchment area attend the school.