Warwick Davis backs campaign to save Cambridgeshire primary school

A campaign to save a primary school from closure because of the low number of pupils has been backed by film and TV star Warwick Davis.

Great Gidding Church of England Primary School, near Sawtry, in Cambridgeshire, currently has 47 pupils and that was expected to fall to 40 by 2023-24.

Actor Davis tweeted: "This school did great things for my son... it would be a travesty to see it close."

The county council has now started a consultation on the school's future.

Davis, who comes from nearby Peterborough, joined others campaigning for the survival of the primary school.

He said his son had attended the school, and urged others: "If you feel inclined and believe in good education and learning environments, please sign the petition..."

The school's catchment area includes the villages of Great Gidding, Little Gidding, Steeple Gidding, Winwick and Hamerton, and a council report said pupil numbers had dropped from 75 in the last 10 years.

Christopher Jakins, whose daughter attends the school said she had already had her education "disrupted through the pandemic... and now she's asking me, why is this happening?".

"The whole community have got together over this, we've really rallied," he said.

Having Warwick Davis lend his voice to the campaign was "a massive help", he added.

"Yesterday I was feeling really despondent... and then I checked my computer and suddenly I've got 20,000 views on the retweet [by actor Davis and his wife]."

He said campaigners intended to put the "decision makers... under the maximum public scrutiny here because Ofsted said the school was good and we know the school is good".

He added: "It's a really special place and I don't think the people on the [council] committee quite understand that - having not been there."

The council said 35 of the school's current 47 pupils came from outside its catchment area.

"The future viability of the school is being considered because of a continuing drop in pupil numbers," it said.

"This pattern is projected to continue, with the total number of pupils on roll likely to fall below 40 in September 2023."

In a statement it said its Children and Young People Committee [had] 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 runs until 21 February.

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