Parents fight to save Great Gidding village school

Parents are campaigning to save a small village primary school which is under threat of closure.

The future of Great Gidding Primary School, near Huntingdon, is in doubt due to low numbers of children predicted to attend in the future.

Parents said the small school has helped their children thrive.

Cambridgeshire County Council is due to discuss the possible closure at a meeting next week.

Some parents have said the small school has helped their children more than a larger school could have , the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

They have asked councillors to consider the impact on children before making a decision.

Emma Bhamra has two daughters at the school and said Great Gidding had been "a blessing" for them.

Her eldest daughter has a rare medical condition and her needs were "lost" in bigger schools but she said at Great Gidding staff had gone "above and beyond" to look after her.

Ms Bhamra said her youngest daughter had taken 75p into the school, without her knowing, to give as a donation to help save the school.

She said: "It was so sweet, but heart breaking, as she does not understand the concept of money and she thought 'I have 75p I can save the school'."

Matt Robinson said he felt "very lucky" to have found the school for his seven-year-old son.

He said his son was "devastated" at the possible closure after thriving in mixed age group classes which helped his confidence grow.

At a meeting in early February the county council's director of education said the number of children attending the school was predicted to go below 40 in September.

The authority's children and young people committee will discuss the matter next week and vote on whether to close the school.

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