Hampshire County Council will recommend the closure of a primary school after it revealed it has just 20 pupils on its roll.

Ampfield C of E Primary School in Romsey is set to close following a five-week statutory consultation requested by the school’s governing body, following concerns about the school’s low pupil numbers.

At current, the 84-place primary school has just 20 pupils on its roll after a pattern of consistently low intake of new pupils in recent years.

A report outlining the responses to the consultation and recommending the school’s closure will be considered by the cabinet lead member for children’s services, Councillor Edward Heron.

This will take place on Tuesday, March 26, and if approved by Cllr Heron, the school will be due to close on August 31, 2024.

The council said that the small number of children attending the school, means that pupils from a wide age range are taught together and this impacts on the school’s delivery of the national curriculum.

The curriculum requires children to be taught specific knowledge according to their age – negatively affecting the children at the school.

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Ampfield Primary School has also faced significant budget pressures as school budgets are primarily based on the number of pupils on roll.

The authority said it had been supporting the school with these challenges through the County Council’s School Improvement Service.

Additionally, in 2013 Ampfield Primary entered a federation with John Keble C of E Primary School, which means that both schools share one governing body and leadership team but are funded separately.

A spokesperson from Hampshire County Council said: “Low pupil numbers impact on the school’s leadership and workload management as well as limiting the opportunities for children to socialise with peers in their own age group.

“If the recommendation to close the school is approved, children could be relocated, if their parents so wished, to John Keble Church of England Primary School.

“Staff would also be closely supported by the Local Authority in line with the standard processes.”