School to shut despite protests

The school will now shut at the end of the summer term

The Church of England has failed in its last attempt to stop a council from shutting a Shropshire primary school.

An independent adjudicator has ruled Shropshire County Council was right to close Childs Ercall Primary School.

The Diocese of Lichfield said if Church of England schools shut, it would limit parents' choices, so it took the issue to the schools' adjudicator.

However, he agreed with the council that the school was too small and too expensive to keep open.

It will now shut at the end of the summer term.

The adjudicator also suggested parents who insisted their children had to go to a Church of England school should be eligible for free transport to the nearest one in Tibberton.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Lichfield said everything needed to be sorted out as quickly as possible, so children knew which school they would be going to in September.