A DALES community’s efforts to save its primary school from closure look to have come to nothing after governors agreed the school had to close after all.

Clapham CoE Primary School, which had been under threat of closure, but following strong support from parents and the wider community, was given a reprieve by North Yorkshire County Council and re-opened in September with a new team, could now close next summer.

Despite starting back in September with a recovery plan, which included a head and an executive head teacher, and new early years provision, the school, which has just 10 pupils, had to cope with an Ofsted inspection that found it ‘inadequate in all areas’, placing it into special measures and making it difficult to find an academy sponsor to take it on.

Following a meeting last week, the governors asked the county council to launch a public consultation into the closure of the school, and on Monday, they met with staff and parents to explain the challenges facing the school.

They include an expected deficit of more than £250,000 and an unforeseen and rapid decline of pupil numbers, expected to drop to just six next September.

Governors said the school’s headteacher and teaching staff were making the changes needed to come out of special measures, but the school was simply no longer viable. The Ofsted rating - coupled with the six-figure deficit – meant it unlikely a school or academy sponsor would be willing to enter into a potential partnership.

Janet Booth, the school’s acting chairman of governors, said: “While parents will be aware of the considerable pressures facing the school, the governing board did not make this decision lightly.

“After battling for some time to secure a future for Clapham primary, we feel we have now exhausted all avenues and are faced with no option but to consult on the closure of the school.

“We have made this decision with heavy hearts, but we feel the situation has reached a point where the pupils’ best interests will be best served by finding alternative provision.”

She added: “The governors wish to put on record their gratitude to the staff and parents of pupils who remained at the school for their commitment and thank the community for its support. We share their sadness that the recovery - which looked so encouraging just a few weeks ago - has fallen away.”

They are backing plans for a new set of governors with experience of special measures to be put in place to take the school through the next two and a half terms to the end of the academic year.

The county council is expected to consider the request for consultation during December and, if approved, a public consultation will start early next year.

Stuart Carlton, the county council’s director of children and young people’s services, aid the decision was very sad, but taken in the best interests of the school’s current children.

“We know village schools play an incredibly important role in communities and will always go the extra mile to keep them going. North Yorkshire has more small schools than any other authority in England and more than 50 schools with fewer than 50 pupils.

“But with a severe budget deficit and a recent Ofsted judgement which placed it in special measures, finding a willing sponsor to secure the school’s long-term future is extremely unlikely. We have to consider whether, in the circumstances, keeping this school open serves the best interests of local children, hence we will be consulting over its closure.

“Should the consultation be approved there will be opportunity for stakeholders to express their views on the overall situation as part of the required process and before any final decision is taken.”