Hopes to save a struggling Sheffield school were dashed on Wednesday after Sheffield City Council ruled that it should close.
The Liberal Democrat cabinet voted in favour of recommendations made in a report by Sheffield’s Director of Education, Dr Sonia Sharp, that Abbeydale Grange School should be shut down and the children transferred to other schools.
Abbeydale Grange was placed in “special measures” status in March 2009 after being declared “inadequate” by Ofsted. It also failed to meet government targets of 30% of children achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE.
The school has also seen a steady decline in the number of local parents choosing to send their children to the school, with 200 places left unfilled in 2008.
The most recent Ofsted interim report said the school had made “satisfactory progress”, but cabinet member for education, Andrew Sangar, said that this would not be enough to turn the school’s reputation around.
Abbeydale Grange is Sheffield’s smallest secondary school, and counts a number of Burmese refugees and asylum seekers among its pupils. The school also works in partnership with the Northern Refugee Centre to support refugee parents.
Former Olympic athlete Sebastien Coe and Bolton Wanderers FC player Kevin Davies are two of its most notable alumni.
Headmaster Graham Black criticised the council’s handling of the decision, but was not surprised by the outcome.
He said: “We could almost predict this type of outcome, however, when you actually see and hear it happen it’s very disappointing.
“I do believe the Council cabinet haven’t had all the facts and they certainly didn’t take up my offer to come into the school and have a personal meeting with me to get some of the most up to date facts and views on the process.
“I offered them a warm invitation and they didn’t even reply let alone come into the school.”
Labour party parliamentary candidate Paul Blomfield branded the consultation process which led to the decision a “sham”.
He said: “Today’s decision by the Liberal Democrats to close Abbeydale Grange is a sad day for education in our city, but it comes as no surprise. It’s been clear for a long time that the Lib Dems were planning to close the school regardless of what everyone else said.
“The message I’ve repeatedly heard from parents is that they feel the Lib Dems haven’t listened to them, and I think they’re right to feel angry. The Lib Dems ran a sham consultation and failed to look properly at all the options to keep the school open.”
The school will begin “phased closure” from next summer to avoid students sitting GCSEs having to move in the middle of their exams.