The following table sets out the number of maintained rural schools that have closed in each year since 2000. We do not have reliable information about decisions made prior to 2000.
Primary Secondary1 2000 2 — 2001 1 — 2002 5 — 2003 6 1 2004 11 — 2005 10 — 2006 10 — 2007 14 — 2008 14 1 2009 12 — Total 85 2 1 Including middle deemed secondary.
The table shows closures where the schools ceased to be maintained and were not replaced. There are other circumstances involving school closure which have been excluded from the table because replacement provision was established, for example, in the case of a change to a school’s religious character or an amalgamation of an infant and junior school to form a primary school.