A PROPOSAL to shut down a Barnoldswick school met with strong opposition at a public meeting on Wednedsay.

Lancashire County Council is considering the future of Rainhall Road Community Primary School.

It has an official capacity of 140, but only 65 children on the school roll. County council officers predict that number will continue to fall and say the children could easily be accommodated at other schools in the area, saving money by closing Rainhall Road.

A public consultation period is now under way and the public meeting was held at the school this week as part of that process. The school hall was packed with parents, governors, councillors and other interested people.

Stephen Mercer, the county's school policy and operations manager, referred to a consultation document showing that schools within a two-mile radius had a total of 191 spare places - that figure likely to rise. It included Kelbrook and Earby schools, both just within the two-mile limit as the crow flies.

Mr Mercer said Rainhall Road, with a falling school roll, faced a range of educational, personnel and financial difficulties. With so many places unfilled taxpayers were effectively paying for children that didn't exist. By reorganising and reducing the number of surplus places, that money could be better spent.

Michael Costigan, the council's planning and development officer, said projections for the next five years showed a significant drop in the number of primary school children in the area. He said there were enough spare places in Barnoldswick alone to account for the Rainhall Road children.

Earby councillor Doris Haigh said it was wrong to even include Earby School's spare places because, although it was within the two-mile limit as the crow flies, she had yet to see a child fly!

Margaret Bell, chairman of Governors at Rainhall Road School and a local councillor, said Earby was a separate community and shouldn't be included.

Removing it from the equation meant there would be just six spare places in Barnoldswick schools if Rainhall Road closed, eliminating parental choice. And with considerable house building in the town the demand for school places could grow. Coun Bell added that the county should be looking at ways to help Rainhall Road, such as establishing nursery provision there. Another option was to demolish it and Church School - another Victorian town-centre school with outdated facilities - and merge both in a new school.

Several parents stressed they had chosen Rainhall Road because it was a small school where every child received individual treatment. One parent said: "I moved my kids here because they were bullied at another, bigger school. Who will tell them that this school is closing? Why should children have to go through that just so the books balance?"

Another parent added: "I know my children get what they need here and they will suffer and miss out if they have to go elsewhere."

Jennifer Purcell told the county officers: "You've got caring parents here and caring teachers and that benefits the whole community. I suggest you go back to Lancashire and say 'forget it' and put these children's education first."

Arnold Kuchartschuk, headteacher at West Craven High School, asked if the officers had considered the effect on class sizes at other local schools?

"This isn't just a battle for Rainhall Road but for the quality of education in Barnoldswick," he said. "The proposal outlined here is a vision for decline. I believe that Barnoldswick will grow and to reduce parental choice effectively to two schools will cause a depression in the quality of education across all schools in Barnoldswick."

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