Legal aid award may prompt more school closure challenges (From Western Telegraph)

Legal aid award may prompt more school closure challenges

The parents of a closure-threatened Pembrokeshire primary school who have been awarded legal aid to take on Pembrokeshire County Council in the High Court may trigger similar claims by other campaigners.

On Thursday, a group of parents fighting to retain Hermon School became the first in Wales to be awarded legal aid to challenge a closure decision.

Their victory could lead to a flood of similar applications by parent groups across Wales. Pembrokeshire County Council has ruled that Hermon School will close at the end of the 2004 summer term and pupils will be relocated to a purpose-built area school at Crymych.

Parent Anna Wilshaw, who has a son at the school, was delighted with Thursday's decision. She was one of a group of parents who travelled to Cardiff to argue their case for legal aid.

"We will now appoint a barrister and let the High Court decide whether we have a good case,'' she said. The campaigners regarded Thursday's announcement as a significant milestone. Their arguments for retaining the school centre on their belief that children benefit from being educated at smaller schools.

During this year's national assessment of key stage two pupils, the Hermon School results were 10% above the county average.

Dwindling pupil numbers don't appear to be a problem at Hermon. The school is understood to have a capacity for 46 children, but currently has 53 on its school role. Pembrokeshire County Council declined to comment on the legal aid award because it had not been directly notified of the decision.

"As far as the authority is concerned the process continues,'' said its spokesman.