West Sussex County Council has confirmed that Twineham CE Primary School is to close.
The closure of the 160-year-old school, near Burgess Hill, from August 31 was approved by Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children, young people & learning, on Thursday (March 12).
The council has said the closure is due to low pupil numbers.
Twineham has space for 105 children aged four to 11, with 15 pupils in each year group. But the demand for places has declined, with 66 pupils on the roll in the autumn term of 2023, 48 one year later, and 13 pupils on the roll in the spring term of this year.
This continued decline in numbers has led to concerns about the viability of the school.
A report from Claire Hayes, director for education & skills, said: “There is little in-area demand for places at the
school. If nothing further changes, the school would face significant financial challenges, with the governors’ three-year budget plan showing a deficit of over £388,000 by 2027/28.”
Only nine emails were received in response to a consultation about the proposed closure of the school, including one from the staff and one from the board of governors. Eight objected to the closure, with one letter of support.
Some felt the closure was ‘short-sighted’, and some that it would have a detrimental impact on the community, while others said leadership improvements would help numbers to rise.
The letter from the governors said the ‘recent and dramatic’ fall in numbers was down to the announcement about the consultation.
It added: “This happened at the end of previous academic year, causing parents to be understandably concerned for their children’s educational future. They felt forced to act and find a suitable second choice placement before there were no local options left.
“Parents still want to make a positive choice to send their children to Twineham, if the threat of closure was removed.”
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