Decision to shut Sneyd school made
Hundreds of defiant placard-waving protesters showed the strength of feeling against the planned closure of a Black Country school – only for council chiefs to vote unanimously to shut it.
Parents, staff and pupils held campaign posters high, beat drums and shouted "Listen to the people – save Sneyd school" outside Walsall Town Hall.
It was a last ditch attempt to try and save the Bloxwich school, which has been threatened with the axe since last year.
But their plight fell on deaf ears during a heated meeting of Walsall Council's cabinet, where council chiefs informed parents there was "no alternative" to close it.
Councillor Rachel Walker, who has taken up the role of portfolio holder for children's services, quickly snuffed out any optimism.
She said: "I apologise for how this was first handled but we have no alternative but to close the school.
"The school is poor performing and pupil numbers are falling. There is also plenty of adequate provision in schools nearby to accommodate pupils from Sneyd school."
Her speech was met with anger from protestors, who claimed the decision had been a "done deal" from the start.
Parent Teresa Perry, aged 31, from Fisher Road, Mossley, said: "There are hundreds of us here and we have come to show how strongly we feel.
"I have a 12-year-old son at the school who loves it there and his grades are good. He doesn't want to move. We will all be devastated if it closes."
Helen Murphy, who lives on the Sneyd Park estate, has a daughter at the school.
She said: "No-one is listening to our plight. Results have improved at the school yet they still want to close it.
"Pupil numbers are down because parents are pulling their children out because of the threat to its future. It is heartbreaking."
The 10-strong Tory cabinet voted unanimously to close the school by 31 August 2012. Their favoured option for its future is to transform it into a university technical college.
A 16-day consultation will be launched in September.
