Small is beautiful

1:18pm Friday 8th February 2008

WARNINGS that increasing numbers of small village schools are to come under threat of closure should be given some credence.

The National Association for Small Schools has predicted that between 200 and 300 small schools could be closed, thanks to Government pressure to cut surplus spaces and reduce general costs.

That's not scaremongering, because although the Government repeatedly pledges support for small schools, the economic realities local authorities face inevitably mean schools will be in the firing line when budgets are trimmed.

Already this year we have seen one small school - Hamsteels Primary near Durham - axed because of falling rolls, rising maintenance and, it was said, falling standards. Another primary school with plenty of spare places was only a mile away.

For everyone apart for the good folk of Hamsteels, the decision was in common parlance, a "no brainer", but the hurt felt by parents and the wider community was deep indeed.

In the coming months we suspect there will be many more Hamsteels. But we hope that local authorities will take everything into consideration.

Where standards are falling and costs disproportionate, the case for closure can be accepted, albeit unwillingly. But where standards remain high and the school's fabric is sound, it may not be so simple.

Other factors, like the support of the local community and the benefits of small school education may well be of greater value overall than a simple cost benefit analysis based on cost per pupil.

That's where local councils should tread carefully and take a wider view of a small school's value.