Cheshire primary school with just three pupils to close

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School had been rated inadequate

A school with just three pupils is set to close within weeks after a council ruled it was unviable.

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School in Bollington, Cheshire, will officially close on New Year's Eve.

Cheshire East Council said the three children had been given places at other schools.

The school had room for 105 pupils but its declining numbers meant it had a "challenging budget" and was rated inadequate by Ofsted last year.

Six councillors voted to approve the closure of the school, one voted against and four abstained.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said consultations were taking place with staff who were facing redundancy.

'Very sad'

A council meeting heard the situation had been a concern for a considerable period and that it had operated with a challenging three-year deficit budget.

In February last year, Ofsted said it provided an inadequate education for its pupils.

Councillors raised fears about other schools facing budget challenges.

Poynton councillor Jos Saunders said: "I do hope other schools are going to get the support that they need because I really do not want to be sitting here having to make this sort of decision again. It's very sad."

The council's director of education Claire Williamson said: "We would give assurance that officers would try their hardest to ensure we are not in this situation again, however there would be no guarantees."

Carol Bulman, who chairs the children and families committee, said there were many well-run schools in Cheshire that feared "they might go bankrupt this year".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]