TV celebrity Warwick Davis says closing a Cambridgeshire village school would be “a travesty”.
The film and tv star is backing the campaign to save Great Gidding Church of England primary school near Sawtry from threatened closure.
This school did great things for my son, @HarrisonWDavis. It would be a travesty to see it close. If you feel inclined and believe in good education and learning environments, please sign the petition below. Thanks! https://t.co/zZLN8lsZxi
— Warwick Davis (@WarwickADavis) January 26, 2023
“This school did great things for my son… it would be a travesty to see it close,” he tweeted,
Warwick, who lives near Peterborough, has urged others to sign a petition calling for the school to remain open.
A consultation has been launched on the future of Great Gidding CE VC Primary School near Huntingdon.
The county council says future viability of the school is being considered because of a continuing drop in pupil numbers.
A council spokesperson said: “In the past 10 years the number of pupils at the school has fallen from 75 to 47 – 35 of whom come from outside the school’s mainly rural catchment area.
“This pattern is projected to continue, with the total number of pupils on roll likely to fall below 40 in September 2023.”
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People Committee agreed to start a consultation which will seek views on the potential closure of the school, and the displacement of pupils to other suitable local schools.
The consultation starts this week and will end on February 21 and the link can be found here: Future viability of Great Gidding (Church of England) Voluntary Controlled Primary School – Cambridgeshire County Council
A wide range of interested parties – including parents and the wider community – are being asked for their views before a decision on the next steps is taken.
The consultation includes arrangements for pupils who receive educational provision recognised by the local authority as reserved for children with special educational needs, the impact on the community and on travel.
The Children and Young People’s Committee will consider progress at its meeting on 8 March and decide whether they wish officers to move to the next stage of the public consultation process.
Should they decide to proceed, CYP committee would then to make a final decision on the school’s future in April.
Committee chair Cllr Bryony Goodliffe said: “This is an important consultation with significant implications for Great Gidding Primary School.
“It is essential that we take everybody’s views into account, so we want the views of as many people as possible. This will enable us to make an informed decision as to what steps to take next.”
