Teesdale school with only one pupil to close

Forest of Teesdale Primary School will close officially on 31 August

A school with just one pupil on its roll will close at the end of next month, council leaders have agreed.

The closure of the Forest of Teesdale Primary School is the "only option", Durham county councillors were told.

Deputy council leader Richard Bell said a dwindling population made it impossible for the school to continue.

The council's cabinet meeting heard the school had the lowest pupil numbers and served the least populated part of the county.

Mr Bell said the single pupil was not currently taught on site and no pupils started in reception last September.

"This clearly indicates the school cannot remain financially nor educationally viable," he said.

'Challenges with numbers'

A collaboration with other small schools in the Upper Dales Federation tried to tackle weaknesses found in a 2018 Ofsted report, which rated the school good, but it became clear pupil numbers would not rise to meet teaching and social needs, the council heard.

Mr Bell said the closure would allow children to go to a larger school with more social interaction and have a broader education.

John Pearce, director of children and young people's services, said there had been a consultation on the closure in the wake of "long-standing challenges with pupil numbers".

Mr Pearce told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The council understands the importance of our small rural schools and has made every effort in recent years to sustain the school, including collaborating with other small schools in the area."

In 2016 the council decided to keep Forest of Teesdale, Rookhope and St John's Chapel schools open but with a shared head teacher.