TWENTY-eight people attended a meeting about the proposed closure of Ravenstonedale Endowed School.

The school has no pupils and Cumbria County Council is consulting on proposals to close the school's doors on April 10 next year.

Earlier this year an Ofsted report labelled the school as "inadequate" and detailed incidents of "racist or homophobic bullying" together with "serious instances of violence" among pupils. As previously reported in the Gazette, chair of governors Liz Morgan said that the claims had been "blown out of proportion", adding that the school did not tolerate abuse.

Last Thursday's meeting held by county council officers at the school gave local people an opportunity to ask questions and have their say on the proposed closure.

A county council spokesman told the Gazette: "Twenty-eight people came along to Ravenstonedale and, with most of them arriving within a fairly short space of time, it ended up being more like a drop-in than a public meeting.

"Some people were critical of the staff, governors and the county council for the situation the school is now in, and the amount of time it would take before the school can be officially closed was a popular gripe that attendees kept raising."

Six members of staff remain at the school, confirmed the CCC spokesman.

The consultation runs until November 21.