Parents campaign to save Stroud primary school

Parents have started a campaign to overturn plans to close a primary school in Stroud.

The trust that runs Severn View Primary Academy has asked the government to allow it to close the school at the end of the academic year.

It has places for 210 children but only 30 pupils have enrolled.

Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) said the school was unsustainable but parents have argued that it has not done enough to attract new pupils.

The final decision rests with the Department for Education, which will consider AET's request in the summer.

Parents have said they are "devastated" by the announcement and have started a petition to save the school.

Ceara Walsh has two children at the school. Her son has ADHD and receives one-to-one teaching in Maths and English.

Ms Walsh said: "They do so much for him. If he had to change school we'd be straight back to square one."

She said she was "struggling to find a place in another school for him".

Mother of four Severn View pupils, Jennine Bateman said. "It's too much of a good school for it to close."

AET said the school is only 14% full, as student numbers have fallen from 74 in 2016 to 30 this year.

"Running a very small school is extremely difficult and despite the brilliant work of our teachers, it is not sustainable," said a spokesperson for AET.

"The only option is to consider closure," the trust said.

The final decision rests with the Department for Education. It will consider AET's request over the summer.

Chris Spencer, executive director of children's services at Gloucestershire County Council said:, ""If the school does close, our priority will be to support families to find a new school place."

He said: "There are currently enough places at other primary schools in the local area to accommodate the pupils at Severn View."