Rural Development Sub-Committee

Inquiry into Reorganisation of Schools in Rural Wales

Response from Kate Bull

Claire Morris
Community Clerk
Committee Service
Sustainable Development Committee & Rural Development Sub Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay
CF99 1NA

Dear Ms Morris

re: Rural Development Sub-Committee inquiry into rural education

I am a parent-governor of Gladestry CinW Primary School, situated in Powys on the Offa's Dyke path on the border with Herefordshire. All three of my children have had their primary education here at Gladestry School - the youngest is still there - and have benefited from an excellent academic education as well as from being in a small school environment at the heart of this community.

I feel it is absolutely essential, not only for educational reasons but also for the very survival of rural communities, that small schools remain at the heart of their communities, for the following reasons:

Educational benefits

Pupils benefit from small class sizes.
Community schools generally achieve at least as good educational results as larger schools. Gladestry School is a case in point. We have an excellent academic record because every individual is encouraged to do their very best.
Our children learn from each other because the small-scale environment and ethos encourages that.
Children in community schools benefit emotionally and behaviourally. Small schools promote a caring ethos that extends through all age groups. What's more, it has been noted that this caring ethos carries over into secondary school. Lady Hawkins School in Kington (Herefordshire) where my two older sons have gone to secondary school, have been very impressed by how the Gladestry School pupils look out for one another not just when they arrive at secondary school but for many years afterwards.
Pupils spend less time travelling when going to a local school, and with oil prices soaring there is ever-increasing need to reduce travelling distances not just for environmental reasons but because people simply cannot afford to get into their cars so often.
Small community schools have less bullying than larger schools; in my 12 years as a Gladestry School parent I have not known of one single case of bullying.
Children from disadvantaged and impoverished backgrounds actually make progress in the smallest schools, because they receive individual care and attention.
Children in mixed-age classes perform better, mature quicker, learn co-operation and teamwork, behave better and are more tolerant. We receive regular praise for our pupils from visitors, other school teachers, people in the wider community and so on. Only the other day, our children's exemplary behaviour in comparison to other schools was noted at a schools swimming gala.
I understand that children in mixed age classes, on average, go on to do better at A level and beyond than children from larger schools. This is not surprising to me, as mixed age classes encourage pupils to gain confidence and self-sufficiency.
Community schools enable a close relationship between families and teachers, with a resulting positive impact on educational achievement.

Community benefits

Schools are an essential part of a community - without the school, the community simply becomes a dormitory.
My husband and I moved here 12 years ago from Norwich with one small child and another on the way. We are both self-employed and are therefore contributing to the local economy. We would not have moved here if there had not been a primary school in the village.
Oil prices are rising and rural communities are, by their nature, poor. We will not be able to afford to drive our children to school in future. We need local schools to keep local communities going, otherwise people will simply move to larger towns and conurbations.
If the countryside is not to become simply a haven for retired or older people - who themselves can make demands on the local economy as they age - we must ensure there are good reasons for our young people to stay here and/or that we attract younger people to live here. Good schools do that.
Mixed communities are healthy communities - they need a mix of ages, working people as well as farmers and so on.
The heart is gradually being ripped out of rural communities like ours. We are losing our post office this summer. If the school were to close, it will be another terrible blow to us and a major part of the village will go too.
It is clear that this country is going to need to review its agricultural practices soon if we are to feed ourselves successfully. This means that it is likely we will need to attract people back into the countryside to work in and service agriculture. We will need a network of small schools to do this successfully.

I urge the committee to recommend that not only are small schools maintained but that they are, in fact, provided with increased support and funding in what are very difficult times to come. Please do not let short-sightedness lead to the closure of small schools which not only have such clear benefits for children now - and which therefore are already contributing to a better world for all of us - but which we will need so very badly in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Kate Bull (Ms)