THE potential closure of a school which has lost more than 60 per cent of its pupils since the start of the academic year is currently being consulted on.

Pupil numbers at Clapham Church of England Primary School in North Yorkshire dropped from 42 to 25 between 2014 and the beginning of the 2019/20 year.

And a North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) spokesman said the publication of an Ofsted inspection result in September, which placed the school in special measures, had left to drastic loss of yet more children. Currently, there are only nine attending, with no children at all in reception and years one, two and four.

The NYCC spokesman said a cumulative financial deficit of £202,600 was initially predicted by the end of the 2021/22 academic year, but this was based on pupil assumptions of 27. He added: "The position will deteriorate further as pupil numbers fall with no reasonable prospect of financial recovery."

Attempts to recruit a "substantive head teacher" have also "not proved possible."

NYCC is therefore now consulting on a proposal to close the school on August 31, 2020. The deadline for submissions is February 28, with a final decision to be made by the council's Executive on June 9.

Visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/current-consultations for more information.