A PORTISHEAD primary school will close at the end of the academic year despite efforts by parents to keep it open.

A PORTISHEAD primary school will close at the end of the academic year despite efforts by parents to keep it open.

Councillor Jeremy Blatchford, executive member for children and young people's services last week authorised the publication of a statutory notice to close St Barnabas School on August 31.

A falling roll and subsequent financial pressures are the reasons behind the decision. The school, which opened in 1871, can accommodate more than 100 students but today it has only 37 pupils on roll.

Following overwhelming support from parents, staff and members of the community to keep the school open, council officers recommended that closure be deferred until August 2010, however the chair of governors of St Barnabas School presented a request that the school close in August this year.

Headteacher Lynne Yelland said: "After thorough investigation and consultations closure of the school was recommended.

"To prolong this by a further 12 months would no doubt result in the school limping through, with fewer and fewer children as the year progresses.

"In view of the uncertainty, we are in no doubt that pupils and even staff would be likely to accept positions as they became available at other schools.

"We have to act responsibly for the sake of our pupils. It would not be a good situation, neither educationally or socially, for them to see a continual decline of pupils at the school.

"It is a sad decision and not one that has been made lightly. It was an incredibly hard and brave decision that the governors were required to make regarding closure in August 2009 and I support their judgment."

A consultation period at the end of last year provided members of the community with the opportunity to make their views about the future of the school clear.

At the end of the period 41 responses had been received, 35 of which were against the closure of the school.

However, in a report issued by North Somerset Council about the consultation it states that while there is support to keep the school open, the general agreement is that the school is not sustainable in the longer term.

It says the low numbers of parental preferences for school places at St Barnabas do not support the future educational viability.