Bell Lane School to face closure battle

Jan 6 2011 By Lawrence Poole

Bell Lane Combined School could be closed by Bucks CC

A LITTLE Chalfont school has been rocked by the news it could face closure.

Buckinghamshire County Council has announced it will hold a public consultation on the proposed closure of Bell Lane Combined School.

In 2009 an inspection of the school for 5-11 year olds by Ofsted judged that the school was failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

Since then the school has not been able to make the level of improvements required.

Steven Adams, Cabinet Member for Education, said: "Unfortunately, although Bell Lane School has made some improvement, it has not been sufficient and standards of attainment by many pupils remain low. Falling pupil numbers and a difficult financial position have exacerbated the position the school is facing.

"In order to achieve improved education and better outcomes for pupils of Bell Lane, closure of the school must now be considered seriously. This decision is also in line with Ofsted’s expectation of the appropriate action to be taken when insufficient improvements are made over a period of two years.

"This has been a very difficult decision to take but our absolute priority is the achievement of the best outcomes possible for the current and future pupils of the school."

The public consultation on the proposal to close the school will run until February 18.

Council officers will be holding meetings with parents and staff over the next few days and a public meeting is scheduled for January 19 at 7pm at the school.

The consultation document is on the BCC website at buckscc.gov.uk (click on the Have your Say link) or phone 01494 475352 to receive a paper copy.

Do you have children at Bell Lane School? We want to hear from you - please email lawrencepoole@trinitysouth.co.uk with your opinions.