Northcourt's 63 pupils will be moved to other schools nearby

It was announced on Friday that Northcourt Primary School in Gravesend will shut for the last time on 31 October.

The decision has been made public just days before the new school year starts next Thursday.

The school's 63 pupils will be transferred to other schools nearby, education chiefs say.

'Weak leadership'

Northcourt Primary was first threatened with closure four years ago after it was placed in special measures, but a schools adjudicator, appointed by the government, overturned that decision.

But the school was put into special measures for a second time in October 2002 after a scathing Ofsted inspection.

We suffer from a lot of problems of deprivation and economic difficulties that other schools don't have to face Patricia Harman, parent governor

Ofsted reported the school had standards in English, maths, science and other subjects which were below average, that leadership and management were weak and the school had been "unable to move forward with identifiable priorities".

Kent County Council, after consultation following that move, again decided it should shut and issued a public closure notices in March.

This time the schools adjudicator agreed the school should close.

Kent County Council says pupils will go to nearby schools and it will pay for new uniforms for children who have to move school, if parents cannot afford them.

'Breaking up friendships'

Councillor Leyland Ridings, who is responsible for schools, said: "We have some 16 schools within a two-mile radius and none of these are in special measures or have serious weakness."

Patricia Harman, whose son is a pupil at the school, is a parent governor.

She said: "We think it's a good school, we were the most improved school in the borough.

"It's just we suffer from a lot of problems of deprivation and economic difficulties that other schools don't have to face.

Morale hurt

"This is one of the most deprived areas of west Kent."

Some pupils have already found new schools to attend and staff say this has hurt morale among the children.

Nursery nurse Anne Hayward said: "Children are finding other schools to go to and it's breaking up friendships.

"The children who are left are very unhappy because their best mates are leaving."