WHEN Caroline O’Neill, Durham County Council's (DCC) head of education says the authority must rationalize its small schools estate to make it economically viable that says it all really.

The long term strategic plan for education is to close small schools. It is a budgetary decision.

There are both benefits and disadvantages to being taught in a large or a small school, but there is no evidence whatsoever from the latest Ofsted Reports that either of these schools is failing their pupils educationally. Quite the contrary, both Rookhope and Forest of Teesdale are regarded as good schools which are meeting the challenges of their small size.

While DCC is considering the cost of its schools estate perhaps it could also bear in mind the value of schools to these small communities and the long-term effect of its decisions? Where is the long-term strategic plan for communities or is there another rationalisation going on at County Hall which allows some communities to wither on the vine?

David Heatherington,

Former head teacher at St John's Chapel Primary School.

COULD someone explain why doing nothing is not an option in the Forest-of-Teesdale school saga?

For more than 20 years now, this school has managed a delegated budget very successfully with a similar (albeit very small) school population over that time.

What financial benefit would Durham County Council's ratepayers receive, if any, from the proposed closure ?

The school's revenue costs are funded directly from the government (by grant through the local authority) and, as the building itself is leased, one would assume any major structural costs are not a county council responsibility.

If anything, increased home-to-school transport costs would result in a cost, not a saving, to ratepayers.

Paul Turgoose, Newton Aycliffe.