Keep Dilwyn primary school OPEN

Dilwyn Church of England Primary School is a small village school which has been going for 165 years and is treasured as the 'heart' of Dilwyn village community. It has the capacity for 54 children but currently has just 33 on roll – however numbers have declined largely since Herefordshire Council declared its intention to close the school over 4 years ago.

The school is continuously improving and the outcomes of two recent inspections were positive. Children who have attended Dilwyn school do well at high school and further education. The teachers in Dilwyn and other small schools overcome the problems of the large spread of ages and small year groups by close dedicated attention to individual children: ‘Every Child Matters’! There is no evidence that children learn better in larger schools but there are statistically proven advantages in small schools.

To address issues of financial viability, there is a solid proposal to federate with a Roman Catholic high school - St Mary's in Lugwardine – which is one of the best state high schools in the West Midlands. The federation will be particularly attractive to Roman Catholic and Anglican families, but children of all faiths or of no religious allegiance are welcomed. 13 families in the area have signed forms to say they would consider sending their children to Dilwyn school if it remains open, involving 21 potential pupils for Dilwyn school in the future.

There has been strong support from a community consultation and many objections have been lodged with Herefordshire Council, county councillors, MPs and the Diocesan Board of Education. Many people feel that closing the village school will be detrimental to a vibrant community life with serious negative effects on two local charities in particular - the local pre-school (Playgroup) and village hall. Other village facilities such as the church and pub will also be adversely affected. Young children will have to go by bus to other schools whereas they can walk to the local school in many cases. There are plans to build affordable housing in the village and the largest local business has a growing workforce with many young families.

Please help us keep Dilwyn school open to ensure this village remains a sustainable community. It is possible there will be a separate petition to the Dept. of Education for the formation of a free school if Herefordshire Council still decide to go ahead with the proposed closure.

See www.dilwyn.com for further details and updates.