Cranbrook: Parents angry at High Weald Academy closure plans

Parents at a secondary school have expressed anger at the announcement it is to close.

The High Weald Academy in Cranbrook, Kent, will shut from September 2022 because of poor Ofsted ratings, low pupil numbers and financial pressures.

Its 276 pupils are being offered places at Mascalls Academy in Paddock Wood, which some parents say is too far away.

Leigh Academies Trust, which runs High Weald, is offering free uniforms and transport for pupils who transfer.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent on behalf of parents who have formed a group to fight the closure, Anna Fisk said she believes her 14-year-old son, who has autism, would not be able to cope.

"A child going to a small village school, they know everybody, and suddenly they go to a school which is five times the size, and you have to start your day at six in the morning to get there. Mascalls Academy is between 11 and 15 miles, depending on where you live.

"We've had three 'requires improvement' reports from Ofsted, which is a concern, but the last Ofsted report gave clear indications improvements are in place.

"We've also had an improvement in the results of GCSEs in the last two years. Parents are absolutely heartbroken and agitated and concerned about the way it's been handled, the lack of consultation."

The closure is being opposed by Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant. She said: "Pupils will have to travel over 11 miles to get to the nearest secondary school.

"This will mean long bus journeys in the dark winter hours, especially for those who want to take part in extracurricular activities."

The Leigh Academies Trust said: "Closing a school is always a last resort.

"The current situation is no longer viable, educationally or financially."

A statement from Ofsted said: "We've consistently found this school to require improvement, but ultimately the decision to close it rests with the Department for Education."

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