Protest over potential village school closure

Parents are protesting the proposed closure of Smannell and Enham Church of England Primary School

The council said if the school closed other local ones would be available.

An Ofsted inspection in May 2024 judged the school, which was built for more than 100 pupils, "inadequate".

A consultation on the school's future is under way

But parents at the protest spoke positively about the school.

One said: "We picked this school for a reason. It's a small rural school. Our daughter thrives in a small personal setting like this."

Another said his son was "in a mixed aged group and so he has older children to be his peers and role models".

He added: "His language has improved, his reading has improved, his overall education has got much better for it, and he's become a really confident young man."

Another parent told the BBC: "It's been part of the community for 150 years so I think it's important to keep tradition alive."

From 1980 to 2018, the number of small primary schools in rural areas has dropped from 11,464 to 5,406.

In the same period large primaries increased from 49 to 780, according to the National Association for Small Schools.

Its former chair, Neil Short, said: "You need to be attracting young people into villages because they're going to be the lifeblood of the village in the future.

"If the school isn't there how long will the village as an entity survive?"

Parents at the protest spoke positively about the school

The Diocese of Winchester said it "completely understands the legitimate concerns and strength of feeling amongst many parents who want the best for their children and their community".

It said: "We can only assure parents that we are equally committed to the provision of the best possible education for children of all faiths and none, and to ensuring Church of England education and worship remains an option for all families in the area.

"We want to emphasise that the future of the school remains under consultation and no final decisions have been taken."

The council said in its consultation: "A reduction in the birth rate nationally over recent years has led to falling school rolls."

It said the school had "one of the lowest numbers on roll in the county" and a "consistently low" intake in recent years which put "significant pressure on the school's finances".

"A school with such significant surplus places is not sustainable financially and cannot continue to provide the breadth of curriculum required by pupils," it added.