The chief executive of the trust which runs Charles Read Academy in Corby Glen insists the proposal to close the school is ‘not a done deal’.
Trudy Brothwell, CEO of the West Grantham Academies Trust, also denies claims she has ‘jumped the gun’ by sending paperwork to the Department of Education before the consulation period is over on March 28.
Mrs Brothwell said: “It implies we have broken the law and we have not done that. Nothing has been sent to anybody. It will be sent after the end of the consultation period. A copy will go to the local authority and there will be one in school.
“This is not a done deal. It’s a general consultation and there may well be a different solution to the suggested outcome. We are looking into every available option open to us and I am working very hard behind the scenes to explore every possible option.”
It has been reported some children have already been moved from Charles Read to other schools, but Mrs Brothwell said children should not be moved out of the school until a decision had been made on the school’s future. She said if Charles Read closed, there was enough room at St Hugh’s in Grantham to take them. There are 226 children at the school, with an intake of 196 expected next year. The proposal is to close the school by September 2014.
l A petition started by Sharon Broughton-Eley, a mother of three special needs children at Charles Read, has collected 3,000 signatures from those opposed to closure.
Mrs Broughton-Eley said she was delighted with the support she had received and was feeling confident that Charles Read could stay open.
A third and final protest by pupils and parents took place outside Charles Read yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.
Another public meeting has been arranged with MP Nick Boles in Corby Glen for Friday, March 8, following one held there two weeks ago with Mr Boles and Martin Hill, leader of the county council.