Primary school with 21 children due to close

The primary school is one of the smallest in the county

A council said it would push ahead with plans to shut one of the smallest primary schools in the county despite more than 250 objections.

Hertfordshire County Council agreed to proceed with a closure plan for Tonwell St Mary’s School, near Ware, at a meeting this week.

A report to councillors had highlighted "significant concerns" about the financial and educational viability due to having just 21 pupils split into two mixed-year classes in the school.

A total 262 out of 271 responses to a recent consultation on the proposed closure opposed the plan.

'No viable options'

“Unfortunately there are only 21 children now left on the roll,  with no children in reception,” said Caroline Clapper, the Conservative executive member for education, libraries and lifelong learning.

"It is a decision with a very heavy heart – and apologies to the parents who are in here. But that’s the way that we need to move forward.”

Parents had asked for a chance to increase pupil numbers and for the council to explore redesigning it as a special educational needs and disabilities school.

A parent action group asked for a three-year "stay of execution", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ms Clapper said the local diocese “reluctantly supported” the decision and the governing body accepted “there was no other viable options”.

Tory council leader Richard Roberts said “whilst this isn’t what Tonwell parents want to hear - that probably increases the sustainability of the schools they go to which is really important”.

The proposed closure was discussed at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

Following the decision of the cabinet a statutory notice is now due to be published on 4 January.

If no objections are received by 31 January, the executive director for children's services could take the decision to close.

But if objections were to be received, the matter would return to the cabinet on 18 March - where the final decision would be taken.

According to the proposal the school would then officially close on 31 August 2024.