 St Lawrence CE Primary School is fighting a plan to close it down |
An MP has stepped up his campaign to save a primary school in his Kent constituency as a public consultation on its proposed closure looms. The county's School Organisation Advisory Board agreed on 19 April to launch an open debate on the future of St Lawrence CE School, in Sevenoaks.
Kent County Council said a significant number of surplus school places in the Sevenoaks area led to the proposal.
Michael Fallon MP spoke to teachers and pupils at St Lawrence school on Friday.
Mr Fallon said: "St Lawrence is one of the best small schools in the county.
"We should learn lessons from it, not close it."
A six-week consultation period on whether it should be shut is due to start at the beginning of May.
A statement from the school said it had fallen foul of the Kent Primary Strategy, being smaller than the stated ideal.
St Lawrence can take 72 children, but currently has 53 on its books.
Leyland Ridings, the council's cabinet member for education, said falling birth rates had not hit Sevenoaks as hard as other areas of Kent, but St Lawrence's 26.39% surplus meant "doing nothing is not an option".
The council admitted the school had good levels of achievement, but said its buildings did not meet government standards and it was geographically isolated with few pupils living in the immediate area.
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