News

LOCAL SCHOOL FACING CLOSURE

Swingfield Parish Council Chairman Colin Tearle was yesterday (25 April), horrified to learn that Selsted School is facing the threat of closure.Falling pupil numbers have forced Kent County Council to review schools across the County and Selsted will be presented to the Schools Organisation Advisory Board for members to recommend that it goes for consultation o­n closure.

Cllr Tearle said: "I have spent 23 years as a governor of the school and also served as the chairman of governers. Many, many hours of dedicated work have been put in by dedicated people to expand the school and its facilities."

"Selsted was one of the Schools openly encouraged to have a community hall built in the grounds of the school. If the school closes and the use of the hall no longer involves schoolchildren, the substantial grant will need to be repaid."

The Selsted School Hall for the Sports and Arts was opened by the Rt. Honourable Micheal Howard M.P. in January of 2005; it is o­ne of five similar halls, built as part of a project funded by Sport England.

"The head teacher  Graham Truss is leaving at the end of the Summer term and I know that the governors have delayed the appointment of a replacement.

"135 years of history will come to an end, it will be a very sad day should it be decided to close the school" said Cllr Tearle.

A big drop in the number of children means that there are around 14,000 empty desks in primary schools across the County.

Shepway area schools are to be reviewed but around 400 children of Gurkha soldiers being placed in Shepway’s schools will ease the pressure on those with low pupil numbers.