News

BOARD VOTES TO CLOSE SELSTED SCHOOL

Selsted School was recommended for closure at yesterday's meeting  of the  School Organisation Advisory Board (SOAB) (7 September).

Board members narrowly voted to recommend the closure of the school, which leaves supporters facing an anxious wait until the final decision is made by Kent County Councillor and Education Portfolio holder John Simmonds next week.

The final decision o­n whether the merger proposal should be withdrawn will be made by Cllr Simmonds within the next week.

If he follows SOAB's advice the public notice for closure will be issued on 04 October. If any objections are received to this notice the proposal then goes to the Kent Schools Organisation Committee.

KSOC has four groups which each have a single vote - Kent County Council, the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, Kent Schools (representatives of Kent school governors). If none of these groups votes against the proposal then it is implemented. If any of them votes against then it goes to an independent School Adjudicator appointed by the government who will make a decision.

The vote to close the school has come as a huge disappointment after a hard fought campaign by parents, who want to protect the future of the Church of England Primary School.
 
But it was good news for Harcourt and Morehall Primary Schools  when SOAB members voted unanimously against a merger of the two Folkestone schools.

Folkestone and Hythe MP Michael Howard and County Councillor Roland Tolputt both spoke against the merger proposal.