Schools: Closures

Mr. Rob Wilson
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools closed in each of the last 10 years; and what the case for closure was in each case.

Jim Knight
The following table sets out the number of maintained, mainstream schools which have closed following decisions taken under local decision making arrangements, which were introduced in September 1999, including the reasons for their closure.

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|     |Cease to maintain|Change religious character|Due to amalg- amation|For an academy|For fresh start|To allow for a new estab- lishment|Total|
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|2000 |13               |—                         |96                   |—             |8              |—                                 |117  |
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|2001 |26               |4                         |194                  |1             |3              |3                                 |231  |
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|2002 |33               |9                         |181                  |3             |1              |1                                 |228  |
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|2003 |38               |10                        |173                  |8             |5              |1                                 |235  |
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|2004 |53               |6                         |192                  |6             |7              |—                                 |264  |
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|2005 |39               |8                         |211                  |7             |7              |—                                 |272  |
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|2006 |41               |4                         |222                  |17            |3              |1                                 |288  |
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|2007 |4                |—                         |12                   |1             |1              |—                                 |18   |
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|Total|247              |41                        |1,281                |43            |35             |6                                 |1,653|
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Information held on proposals that were decided under the arrangements that operated prior to September 1999 is not reliable and has therefore been excluded. The figures for the early years of this table will therefore exclude closures that were decided before September 1999.