Hertfordshire County Council approve closure of Hexton JMI School
The school, which has two pupils on its rolls, will close in April next year
Hertfordshire County Councillors have this week approved the closure of a school in the county.
Hexton JMI School will close its doors on April 14th 2024, after the decision was made on Monday (December 4) that the proposal for closure was made due to low pupil numbers.
Currently, it only has two pupils on its rolls, having seen the number fall over recent years, and due to government funding being linked with pupil numbers, it means the quality education can be hard to provide.
As well as the councillors decision's being taken into account, the public consultation on the closure, which ended on October 1st 2023, was considered by councillors.
Councillor Caroline Clapper, Cabinet Member for Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning, said: “We have worked very closely with the community in Hexton over the last few years and listened to their views.
“However we have a responsibility to ensure that all of our children receive the best possible education, and that we are spending public money wisely. With such low pupil numbers, and no likelihood that the school can increase pupil numbers to a sustainable level, we’ve had to conclude that the school is facing an insurmountable challenge and is unfortunately not financially or academically viable. We have therefore decided that the best course of action is to close Hexton JMI from April next year.
“A decision to close a school is never taken lightly and we always respect the representations that are made.”