Rural Cornish schools could merge

The county is facing declining pupil numbers in many rural areas

County council officials have said some rural schools in Cornwall may have to merge because of a declining number of primary pupils.

The council is currently consulting teaching unions and a range of options is being considered.

The falling birth rate and a rise in the number of second homes means fewer children going to school in the county.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said a number of teachers had already been made redundant.

Last month it was announced that Lanreath Church of England School near Looe would close in August.

Federated schools

Local people had fought to keep the primary school open, but it was predicted the number of pupils would fall to just 12 in September 2008 and an independent adjudicator decided the school was not viable.

Dave Gardener, an NUT branch secretary, told BBC News between 20 and 30 teachers had taken voluntary redundancy each year for the past five years.

He said it was a complex issue, made more difficult by the increase in second homes and influx of retired elderly people.

A range of options are being looked at by the council, in consultation with the union.

"I'd say it's mainly financially driven. Small schools are expensive and there is an issue with the way Cornwall is funded by the government," Mr Gardener said.

"It's more difficult to attract head teachers for small rural schools.

"They're not paid as much as those of large schools, so there is a recruitment problem too."

He said one solution could be a federated school system, similar to the one in the Isles of Scilly.

There is a primary and a secondary school on St Mary's and primary sites on the off-islands of Tresco, St Agnes and St Martin's.

The Five Islands School has one head teacher and is responsible for all 250 pupils and the five base schools.