Infant school closes due to plummeting numbers of children living in Surrey

The continuing drop in Surrey’s birth rate has been blamed for the closure of St Mary’s C of E Infant School in Shackleford, Godalming.

A rural hamlet, also crowned Surrey’s poshest village, Shackleford has a tiny population compared to its more urban neighbours.

Surrey County Council said “significant” changes to the population had forced the decision, adding that Brexit, the cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic had contributed to “families leaving Surrey”.

The new lead for children services, Cllr Jonathan Hulley, said: “It isn’t an easy decision to make. No one wants to be responsible for closing any school anywhere.”

But Cllr Hulley agreed to give notice that St Mary’s will close.

Matt Furniss, councillor for the area, called it a “sad proposal” but that it “reflects a growing situation in our rural schools”.

He explained the school currently has only 30 students out of 90 places.

“The final nail in the coffin was a maximum of six pupils putting down the Shackleford school as their first choice for September 2025,” he added.

The council and the Guildford Diocese and the governing body of the school had been working together to keep the school going by entering a federation with St James C of E VA Primary School so it can share resources.

However, the Surrey council said the school is “no longer viable” or financially sustainable given the small number of pupils joining the infant school.

Council documents said, if the school stays open: “The number of children on roll will be so low that the school cannot continue without putting the quality of education for the children at risk.”

Surrey is facing a stark challenge from falling enrolments, with nearly 1,700 fewer children going to primary school compared to eight years ago.

Schools receive money from the central government based on the number of pupils they have on their roll.

High vacancies in schools mean there is less money for staff, resources, equipment, extracurricular activities, to pay bills and to carry out maintenance work.

In October 2021, St Mary’s CE school had 81 pupils on roll and by October 2024 that had fallen to 44 – a decrease of 46 per cent.

Whilst there may be close historical ties to the school in the local community, the council claims only 2% of children educated at St Mary’s CE Infant live in Shackleford itself.

The number of children living in the immediate vicinity of the school is no longer able to fill or sustain the rolls of the school.

The county has put forward plans for children at St Mary’s infant school to be automatically transferred to Puttenham C of E Infant School for September 2025.

Parents do not need to apply for a place.

A report said: “It is appreciated that proposals of this nature are not popular and are met with a great deal of emotion as ties to the school can span generations.

“The council, diocese and school leaders would not be proposing this way forward if there were any other alternative.”

Cllr Hulley agreed to Cllr Furniss’ request to consider keeping the school building to be used for community and educational purposes in the village.