School closure to go ahead?

COUNCIL chiefs are being recommended to confirm the controversial decision to close Warrington’s Longbarn Primary School.
A report will go before members of the council’s executive board on Monday, July 20 recommending the school be close from August 31 next year.
The report, by executive member for children’s services Sheila Woodyatt (pictured), will also recommend the relocation of Sycamore Lane Primary, Great Sankey to a new primary school in Chapelford – effectively closing one school and opening another – and reducing the size of a number of other primary schools.
These are Woolston Primary, Bruche Primary, Meadowside Primary, Bewsey Lodge Primary, St Margaret’s Primary, Birchwood CE Primary, Broomfields Junior and The Cobbs Infants.
There is also a recommendation to monitor closely the primary pupil population in the Lymm area and consult, when the time is right, on an increase in the size of Ravenbank Primary.
The recommendations follow a consultation process carried out in March, April and May.
Most controversial of the proposals in that involving Longbarn Primary, where parents, governors and staff have been fighting a campaign to save the school.
The council says 1,158 responses were received from parents, carers, the governing body, MP, parish council and others. A petition was also received.
It was clear there was overwhelming support for the school.
But the strategic provision of school places in the Poulton North area and the efficient use of resources across the borough’s schools was being put at risk due to very low parental preference for Longbarn over a long period of time and the resulting high level of surplus places.
Despite promoting the school and reducing the admission numbers at other nearby schools, the popularity of Longbarn had not improved.
The intake at Longbarn in September would be 13, resulting in a total school population of 89. This could lead to issues such as a lack of teachers.
Other schools in the area would be full.
Only one in three parents in the Longbarn area chose to send their children to the school and it had become the small primary school in Warrington, despite being in an urban area with a relatively dense population.