Sutcombe Primary School is to close from August 31. The decision, made by the council’s cabinet last Wednesday follows the closure of Pyworthy Church of England School at the end of last year.
One of the Sutcombe parents, who made representations to the council last week, said the decision left her ‘furious’.
A consultation on the introduction of a national funding formula for schools was launched last week, and referred to by parent Becky Whinnerah.
The Department for Education said it did not believe it can achieve ‘true fairness’ while it had 152 different local school funding formulae. Instead, the great majority of each school’s funding should be determined by a single, national formula, which uses ‘objective and robust measures of pupil and school characteristics’, it said.
Mrs Whinnerah addressed cabinet members at their meeting: “On behalf of Sutcome village and our school, how can you logically, ethically, and from your heart continue with this proposed closure when you yourselves don’t yet know what the new funding stream would be?”
Cabinet member for children, schools and skills, Conservative Cllr James McInnes, said: “I find this a very difficult decision for us to take but I think schools have to be financially viable.”
Adding that he had been ‘badgered’ on the issue by Conservative county councillor for Holsworthy Rural Barry Parsons, as well as by the Conservative Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox, Cllr McInnes added: “We have bent over backwards to find a solution. But schools have to be on a sound financial basis. If they are not, you are going to get Ofsted coming along and you will end up with an inadequate judgement.”
Referring to ‘small rural schools’, Cllr McInnes said: “To Central Government, a small rural school is 200 pupils. Obviously, in Devon that’s not reality.”
Councillors heard there are 21 pupils at Sutcombe School. According to Devon County Council, the school has a net capacity of 54 pupils. There are 64 primary aged pupils living within Sutcombe’s designated area.
Cllr McInnes said: “I’m afraid as a result the only option is to close the school at the end of the summer term.
“This particular school has become financially unviable because parents haven’t supported it with their children.
“I don’t think any small school in Devon can survive on its own, I think it needs to be part of a partnership.”
Cllr McInnes recommended the people’s scrutiny committee be tasked to look at small rural schools, as he said the council ‘needs to be proactive in trying to help schools survive’.
Dave Black, head of planning, transportation and environment, told the cabinet his team had carried out ‘a huge amount’ of work in the Holsworthy area.
He said that in the Holsworthy area, there is an excess in capacity of school places of about 200.
He said: “Clearly some of the smaller schools are very vulnerable. Of course we have made strenuous efforts to avoid closing Sutcombe.”
The cabinet heard the school’s governing body is unable to meet its statutory obligation of securing permanent leadership and the local authority is legally responsible for the safeguarding and protection of pupils at the school.
The council said officers have worked with the school on alternatives, including considering federation, joining a multi-academy trust within Devon and with federations or academies in neighbouring authorities. However, the council said due to the viability of the school and with falling rolls, other schools had not come forward to share leadership.
Cllr Alan Connett suggested headteachers may have been put off applying for Sutcombe, thinking it was a school that was going to close.
He said: “The residents and parents are clearly here, enthusiastic to keep the school open.
“It doesn’t need to be too late for Sutcombe.”
Referring to the proposed work by the people’s scrutiny committee, Cllr Connett added there could be opportunity for a ‘reprieve’ for the school: “Sutcombe should be given the benefit of that work. It shouldn’t be Sutcombe closes but others may stay open.”
He queried why there are only 21 pupils at the school and said parents may have chosen other schools for their children for ‘security and peace of mind’.
In an objection to the closure of Sutcombe School, the Torridge District Councillor for Hartland and Bradworthy, Alan Whittle, wrote that ‘the Local Plan states the building of 640 houses in the Holsworthy area, which is why Sutcombe School should remain open’.
Referring to these new homes, Cllr Connett added: “I think there are good omens for the school if we give it a chance.”
Cllr McInnes said putting the decision off ‘would just be prolonging the agony’.
Cabinet member for performance and engagement, Cllr Parsons declared an interest in the item and sat with parents from Sutcombe in support of them while fellow councillors discussed the proposal to close the school.
The majority of councillors voted in favour of the proposal to close the school.
Mrs Whinnerah, who has three children attending the school, said when she told her 9-year-old daughter, she had ‘cried for hours’.
Mrs Whinnerah added: “She said ‘Mum, what can I do to change this?’. I said you can write a letter to the head of the council. She spent two hours meticulously writing and re-writing a passionate letter to John Hart.” [Devon County Council’s Leader]
Mrs Whinnerah said her children have had to move school five times — and this would have been two school changes were it not for the council’s closure of schools.
“Having been through this so many times with other schools, I have never been so passionate. This one really is beyond me. I really think Devon [County Council] have just got this so wrong.
“Six closures in Torridge in six years — it beggars belief really. Right off the back of Pyworthy as well.
“For them to say with a heavy heart we are going to shut your school, it isn’t a small thing at all. It really impacts these very young people’s lives.
“The school doesn’t have a deficit, it has stable numbers, and they are still shutting it.”
Mrs Whinnerah said as a ‘last gasp’ attempt she was working with some Devon County Councillors as the Post went to press, to try and ‘call in’ the cabinet decision for it to be reviewed.
“One of the parents said she will never forgive Devon County Council,” she added.
Fourteen objections to closure had been received, including an electronic petition with 212 signatures.
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