Three Shropshire schools could escape closure

The Stiperstones school could be reprieved

Three schools earmarked for closure after a comprehensive review of education in Shropshire have been recommended for a reprieve.

Plans have been put forward to save Lydbury North, Onny and Stiperstones schools.

Shropshire Council has discussed details of a public consultation carried out in May and June.

The council's cabinet will make a final decision on four of the proposed closures next week.

Last February, eight primary schools and one secondary were told they faced closure.

Stiperstones Primary School could be reprieved after putting forward a proposal to federate with Chirbury.

Onny and Lydbury North primary schools, which were threatened with closure, have also put forward plans to federate and the report for next week's cabinet meeting recommends that they be offered the chance to progress with their proposal.

Public consultations are still going on concerning the closure of Ifton Heath Primary School and the extension of the age range at Rhyn Park Secondary School to include the primary pupils.

'Viable alternatives'

Councillor Aggie Caesar-Homden, the cabinet member for schools, said the council understood that it was a challenging time for schools and communities affected by the proposals.

"We have worked alongside schools and their communities for more than a year to look at the challenges facing our schools and the ways to address these.

The consultation period for the Wakeman School has been extended

"From the beginning, schools, parents, governors, pupils, the diocese, town and parish councils and wider communities have been invited to bring forward their own solutions.

"This has continued throughout the process with people being urged to come up with viable, long-term alternatives to the proposals which will still ensure we can provide excellent education for our children," she said.

She promised that all the representations made during statutory consultation would be carefully considered at next week's meeting.

A decision on the only secondary school to be threatened with closure, the Wakeman School in Shrewsbury, has been deferred to allow for the republishing of the public notice.

The results of the Wakeman consultation will go to a cabinet meeting on 7 September.