Parents vent fury at plan to close school

Hundreds of furious parents turned out in force to voice fears over controversial plans which have been put forward to close a South Staffordshire school because of falling pupil numbers.

Around 200 at the meeting demanded a U-turn.

Education bosses want to close Bilbrook CofE Middle School. But at a public consultation meeting last night parents who crammed into the school's sports hall described the proposal as "disastrous" and called for decision makers at the council to reconsider axing the middle school.

They said the move would disrupt hundreds of youngsters who were at key stages of their education.

Among those at the meeting were Steve and Joanne Pope, both aged 42, of Green Drive, Oxley.

Their nine-year-old son, Adam, attends the under-threat school while the couple's five-year-old daughter, Georgia, is at Lane Green First School, which is on the same site.

"There is only one option on the table from the council so it seems like the decision has been made already," said Mr Pope.

If plans to shut Bilbrook Middle by next August go ahead, youngsters in Years 5, 6 and 7 will be sent to Codsall Middle School, although parents will be able to choose other schools if places are available. If there are no places at Codsall, pupils will be sent to other schools in the county.

Youngsters moving up to middle school will be sent to Codsall Middle or Perton Middle. In the event of Bilbrook Middle closing, Lane Green First School could move into the existing middle school buildings.

Bilbrook Middle, which opened in 1976, has space for 351 pupils, with only 128 currently on roll. This is expected to continue to fall.

During last night's meeting, parents urged the council to look at the possibility of a two-tier school system, which could see Lane Green and Bilbrook Middle merge.

County councillor Liz Staples, cabinet member for education, insisted a final decision had not been made on the closure and that the council would take on board the concerns of parents.