A bid to frustrate the possible closure of a Devon village’s school has been launched as the community fights to keep it open.
Branscombe Church of England Primary School has just six pupils on roll, which has contributed to the decision by the multi-academy trust that oversees it to apply for its closure.
Link Academy Trust, which describes itself on its website as a “family of 23 primary schools”, has sought permission from the Education Secretary to shut the school.
The possible closure of Branscombe primary, which has not had any admissions into its reception class since 2023 but has capacity for 70 pupils, comes after three closures in the past five years in North Devon’s Chittlehampton, and Kingswear and Shaugh Prior in the South Hams.
And with roughly 20 schools having less than 30 students on roll, the issue of rural school viability could continue emerging.
Cabinet members at Devon County Council were unanimous in their opposition to the proposed closure, however, the authority does not directly oversee the school and is only a consultee in any decision with no formal powers to keep the school, which has space for 70 pupils, open.
Devon’s cabinet moved to request the government to reassess its decision, especially in light of the potential for more new homes to be built in the area around Branscombe that could mean more potential pupils.
Link said after the move by Devon to object to the closure, it would “review options” for the school, including “engaging with families of children who are attending and any future families”.
But it acknowledged the “challenge of running small schools is a national one at this time of falling birth rates”.
Supporters of the school, who were gathered in the public gallery at the meeting, cheered the move and hoped that it could possibly force a stay of execution for the school whose proposed closure could occur at the end of August.
Applications for admission to the school begin on 15 November, but numbers are expected to be low – possibly around three pupils – leading to the government’s view “there is unlikely to be sufficient demand for the school to be viable”.
Mike Pellatt, chair of Branscombe Parish Council, said he was “very pleased” with the cabinet’s decision to write to government demanding another look.
“The outcome is better than expected as we have had a lot of communication with elected members, and while we have had some positive feedback, you never know what is going to happen on the day so we are really pleased,” he said.
“It sounds exactly like the right step in the process to try and turn things around.”
Mr Pellatt added he felt Link had previously said it would support the school and ensure its future, but that the community believed it had “not done that” and hadn’t presented any evidence to prove any of its notional efforts.
“The school is absolutely, 100 per cent, critical to the village,” he added.
Councillor James Buczkowski (Liberal Democrat, Cullompton) suggested the cabinet should not support the Secretary of State’s proposal.
“We recognise the challenges but closing a village school has consequences for generations,” he said.
“I’m minded to oppose [the government’s] proposals.”
Councillor Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge), the leader of Devon County Council acknowledged it was a “very emotive and emotional issue for members of the Branscombe community”.
“It is not a council decision and for whatever the reason, the government has decided the best thing to do is to fragment our education system into academy trusts which run schools,” he said.
“We were informed [by Link] and given details of their proposal, but we will debate this and hear the views about it.”
He added he “does not agree” with the proposed closure, but that the council had no control over the ultimate outcome.
Councillor Denise Bickley (Liberal Democrat, Sidmouth), the cabinet member for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), said Branscombe had been taken into the Link trust in 2024.
“The trust has said it has done a lot to try and turn things around, but at a meeting I attended, the mood music was that nothing had been done to address the issues,” she said.
“I believe the community thought it would be a consultation exercise but it turned into a board meeting and there was anger in the room.
“The trust said it had launched promotion campaigns but parents noted a lack of community integration and they feel abandoned.”
A spokesperson for Link said with the council not supporting the motion to close the school, it would review the situation.
“In light of this the Trust will take a period of time to review options for the school, engaging with families of children who are attending and any future families who intend their children to join the school,” a spokesperson said.
“The challenge of running small schools is a national one at this time of falling birth rates. We also know that attracting children to small schools is difficult and can unintentionally leave other local schools with fewer children.
“The trust has sought, and will continue to seek, to provide the best education for the children in the school.”
Devon’s cabinet voted unanimously to write to the Secretary of State to urge a reassessment of the decision to close the school.
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