PARENTS of a closure-threatened Barnard Castle primary school have launched a campaign to keep it open.

County Durham Council announced today (Weds, May 18) that it was going to host a consultation over plans to close Startforth Morritt Memorial School amid falling pupil numbers and “insufficient improvement” since its last inspection.

According to the council the school is less than one third full and was judged by Ofsted as 'Requiring Improvement' in 2014.

For two years Durham County Council, governors and the Church of England diocese have sought a solution – including asking governors of other schools for support, and proposing an amalgamation with a nearby primary – but neither have gone ahead.

Now a consultation is being launched on plans to move pupils to larger schools that are “Good” or “Outstanding,” from January 2017.

However, angry parents say they are going to “fight the plans tooth and nail” and have already launched a campaign with their first meeting to be held at the River Wear Caravan Club, at The Landings, tomorrow (Thurs, May 19), from 7pm.

School governor and parent, Katie Blissett, whose son, Isaac, is set to start at the school in September, said: “I was a pupil at that school and it’s a big part of the community and for them to just decide to propose to close it is not on.

“My son is really happy there and I know a lot of children are happy there as well so it’s something we will want to fight and try to do our best for.”

Barnard Castle Town Mayor and school governor, John Blissett, added: “There’s great determination between governors, parents and the staff to fight this all the way.

“We are really disappointed the way things are at this moment in time and we would want to fight it tooth and nail.”

The council’s strategic manager for school places and admissions, Sheila Palmerley, said the council needed to make schools sustainable in the long term and had “a number of concerns” about Starforth.

“The most recent Ofsted inspection said the school requiring improvement but we do not believe progress has been sufficient to move the school forward from that judgement should it be inspected again,” she said.

She added: “Furthermore there is currently no headteacher in post and although some part-time leadership has been provided by the head of an outstanding school elsewhere in the county, that arrangement will cease in August.”

Following the consultation, the council’s Cabinet will meet in September 2016 to decide whether to close the school or not.

To take part in the consultation email your views to schoolorganisation@durham.gov.uk or complete the response form online at durham.gov.uk by June 24.