School ‘will survive’ Dale Farm evictions (From Basildon Recorder)

School ‘will survive’ Dale Farm evictions

4:20pm Tuesday 10th May 2011 in News By Jon Austin

THE future of Crays Hill Primary School is looking more secure after it emerged there are now 105 children attending.

That is about half the number of pupils attending when it was at full capacity in 2004, when parents of settled children started to remove them following an influx of travellers from the illegal Dale Farm site.

Numbers on the roll dropped as low as 34, amid truancy problems and claims of slipping standards.

The size of the school was then halved after Essex County Council allowed the Ethnic Minority Advisory Service to set up offices in the building.

There have been fears the school would close following the planned eviction of up to 96 traveller families from Dale Farm .

However, new figures suggest only 21 children currently on the roll live on the illegal site and many of the pupils live on authorised pitches.

The figures were released to members of Ramsden Crays Parish Council, which was concerned the school would close following the eviction.

Stephen Castle, county councillor in charge of education, wrote to councillors: “It is possible a roll of around 80 could be maintained, which would be sufficient to ensure the future viability of this school.”

He said if numbers dropped again they would work with governors over the future, but County Hall is against closing village schools. The parish council has also met with school governors over working together for village children to return.

They agreed to look at setting up a toddler group there, open the school for community functions and to try to get pupils involved in a project on a nature reserve with the parish council.

The school is also currently looking to expand its car park to allow for six more vehicle spaces and an application for this is being considered by the county council.