Consultation launched on future of Great Gidding School - after councillor says closure is a 'foregone conclusion'

A consultation looking into the future of a school near Peterborough has been launched – less than a month after a councillor said the school’s closure was ‘a foregone conclusion.’

Great Gidding Primary School looks set to close after the number of pupils on the register fell from 75 to just 47 in the space of 10 years.

The school counts Paralympic gold medalist Lauren Steadman among its former pupils.

The closure has not been confirmed – but at a county council meeting earlier this month, cllr Jonas King said he believed the decision was a ‘foregone conclusion.’

A petition to try and save the school was launched when it was revealed the future was under threat, and more than 600 people have already signed it.

Now Cambridgeshire County Council have launched a consultation, asking for as many people as possible to make their views heard.

The consultation will end on February 21 and more information, including how to have your say, can be found at: Future viability of Great Gidding (Church of England) Voluntary Controlled Primary School - Cambridgeshire County Council

A wide range of interested parties – including parents and the wider community – are being asked for their views before a decision on the next steps is taken.

The consultation includes arrangements for pupils who receive educational provision recognised by the local authority as reserved for children with special educational needs, the impact on the community and on travel.

The Children and Young People’s (CYP) Committee will consider progress at its meeting on 8 March and decide whether they wish officers to move to the next stage of the public consultation process. Should they decide to proceed, CYP committee would then to make a final decision on the school’s future in April.

Committee Chair Cllr Bryony Goodliffe said: “This is an important consultation with significant implications for Great Gidding Primary School. It is essential that we take everybody’s views into account, so we want the views of as many people as possible. This will enable us to make an informed decision as to what steps to take next.”