Decision on future of Buildwas Primary School deferred

A decision on whether to proceed with the proposed closure of Buildwas Primary School is now set to be made by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 4th November 2015.

The proposal was due to be considered by Cabinet next Wednesday 28th October following a six-week consultation.

The deferral of the decision was agreed by Shropshire Council following a request from the school governors.

It will allow more time for the Regional Schools Commissioner to consider an application from a potential academy sponsor – and will also enable the outcomes of a recent Ofsted monitoring inspection of the school to be considered.

At their meeting, Cabinet will be asked to decide whether to publish a closure proposal. If they do, there would then be a four-week statutory representation period before a final decision is made.

Buildwas Primary School was placed into special measures by Ofsted following an inspection in January 2015. The previous Ofsted inspection in April 2013 had confirmed that the school required improvement.

Where a school remains open after being placed in special measures, the Secretary of State expects it to become a sponsored academy, and has the authority to enforce this throughout the time that the school remains subject to special measures.

After Buildwas was placed into special measures, Shropshire Council was involved in initial discussions, along with the Department for Education Academy Broker and governing body, to secure an academy solution for the school. However, no academy solution was forthcoming at that time.

Taking into account other factors, including falling numbers of pupils on roll, the future financial sustainability of the school and the capacity for the school to sustain effective high-quality education, Shropshire Council decided to consult on proposals to close Buildwas Primary School.