David Morris MP is extremely disappointed that Lancashire County Council has decided to go ahead with the closure of Skerton Community High School.
The officers of Lancashire County Council have today released papers, which recommend that the cabinet member ratifies the closure tomorrow at a meeting in County Hall.
David Morris MP said, “It is extremely disappointing to hear that Lancashire County Council have again ignored the voices of the community and more importantly the pupils of Skerton High School and are going ahead with closure. The support for the School in the Community is overwhelming, and it is clear from speaking to all of the pupils that the School is very highly regarded. Lancashire County Council have let the community down by pushing ahead with this decision and ignoring the views of my constituents.”
Lancashire County Council have currently banned all other Schools in Lancashire from speaking to the pupils from Skerton Community High School before the end of April and this has lead to a number of parents taking their children to Schools in Cumbria before the end of the academic year.
David Morris MP said “The parents at Skerton High have been put in an incredibly difficult position and some have removed their children as they felt that the County Council in Lancashire did not have their best interests at heart. It is disappointing that this has meant that the School is no longer viable to be forced by the Government into academy status as the numbers have been falling. This has also been a factor in a possible sponsor not being able to convert the school into a free School at this time.”
David Morris MP has put a moratorium on the land at Skerton Community High School, so the site can only be used for education. The next stage of the process would be to invite groups to submit a free school application on the site and reopen the School in 2015.
David Morris said “Lancashire County Council have not given Skerton Community High School a chance of surviving this year with the way they have treated the parents and pupils. Skerton has improved since its OFSTED rating last year and is expected to be taken out of the serious weaknesses category at the end of the academic year. I would now encourage groups to come forward and submit a free school application on the site and will offer my help to any group who would like to submit a bid.”