School to close after losing more than 50 pupils

A primary school will close from the start of the next academic year, after all students took up places at other schools.

In November 2023, concerns were raised after the number of students at North Walney Primary and Nursery School dropped from 84 to 27 in four years.

In February of this year, there were just five pupils and eight staff at the school on Walney Island, in Barrow-in-Furness.

Westmorland and Furness Council's cabinet member for finance, Andrew Jarvis, said that it was a "difficult situation", but that the closure was appropriate.

Westmorland and Furness Council ran consultations inviting people to have their say, but this week approved proposals to close the school from 31 August.

One response to the consultation queried why the school was closing given possible housing developments in Barrow, which could bring more pupils to the area.

But the council said that there were enough surplus school places in the area to accommodate any possible increase of students.

The council added that despite difficult circumstances, the school had continued to offer good quality education.

But a council report in November said school budgets were linked to student numbers, and with less money available, it believed the workload for staff was becoming "unsustainable".

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