'Heart of the village' primary school to close

The academy trust that runs a village school with just 31 pupils says it will close in September.

Pupil numbers at Corpusty Primary School, in north Norfolk, have dropped from a high of 103 in 2015/16.

Now parents are being asked if they would like to transfer their children to schools in Gresham or Reepham.

Jane Stuart, a former pupil who moved back to Norfolk as an adult so her children could attend Corpusty Primary, said: "The school is not just located in the heart of the village - it's also the heart of the community in many ways."

She said she had recently taken part in the school's centenary celebrations.

Synergy Multi Academy Trust (SMAT) plans to reopen the site at Corpusty as a dedicated Special Educational Needs (Send) school in 2027.

The trust said there was a two-class structure at Corpusty Primary with children in Reception and Years One and Two taught together - and another class for pupils in Years Three to Six.

A consultation document outlining the reasons for closing the school states that combining years can "affect curriculum delivery and specialist support".

It also states that the number of pupils is projected to fall further from 31 in 2025/26 to 25 in 2030/31.

The report identified 38 new homes planned for the area but said this would not have a significant impact on the school's catchment.

Madeleine Jones, who has a child at Corpusty Primary, said the closure reflected a wider story of rural decline.

"What is happening in our community to mean there are only 31 children enrolled in the school?" she said.

"Jobs, housing affordability, second homes, escapes to the country for older people all come to mind."

This proposal is the latest in a string of closures and mergers at schools and colleges around Norfolk.

Sheringham Sixth Form is to stop offering A-levels because of declining pupil numbers and Great Dunham Primary merged with Beeston Primary in August 2025 for the same reason.

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the government needed a national strategy to support rural schools which would be most impacted by changes in demographics.

"Once you start dropping your numbers in a class to below 20 or even below 25, the costs for providing that class don't reduce" he said.

"The finances coming to the school do reduce and you face difficult decisions about merging classes, bringing year groups together, reducing services in that school.

"None of that is good for a rural community."

The Department for Education said: "It is for local authorities to balance the supply and demand of school places, and we recognise the pressures caused by demographic changes which some schools across the country are facing."

The county council said it was working with school leaders to plan for the impact of changing demographics.

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