CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep secondary education provision in Dulverton are calling on people across West Somerset to have their say on the future structure of the town's two schools.

Somerset County Council's consultation on controversial changes that would turn All Saints First into an infants school and Dulverton Middle into a primary ends on Monday (March 24).

But an action group of parents, former teachers and others involved in education is concerned that people are being asked to reach a view on the proposals without the necessary information.

Under the county council's plans, the first school, which currently caters for children aged from four to nine, would take three to seven-year-olds, while the age range of pupils at the middle school would switch from nine to 13 to seven to 11.

The changes are being driven by an £80,000 shortfall in the middle school's budget, sparked by a reduction in Government funding following changes to the funding formula.

The financial gap is making it increasingly difficult for the school to deliver the specialist subject teaching required for 11 and 12-year-olds, who under the county council's plans could transfer to one of a number of secondary schools but with Kingsmead in Wiveliscombe likely to become Dulverton's designated catchment school.

However, critics of the proposals insist many questions on the impact of the changes remain unanswered.

Mother of four Terry Bruce, a member of the action group, is so impressed with the current ethos and standards at Dulverton Middle that she sends her nine-year-old son there even though the family lives in Timberscombe.

"I just feel that these changes are being pushed through without the wider options being fully investigated," she said.

"The county council appears to have no detailed idea of how much the changes would cost compared to the £80,000 shortfall the middle school is currently facing."

Mrs Bruce said further doubt had been cast on the necessity to change following an announcement by Education Minister and Somerset MP David Laws last week on a £350 million package of Government funding to tackle under-funding for rural schools.

Somerset is expected to receive an additional £2.7m, or £42 more per pupil in 2015/16 - an increase of one per cent.

Mrs Bruce said she understood this could mean an additional £4,000 for Dulverton, with a promise from Mr Laws of a new funding formula after the General Election in 2016.

She said she had serious concerns about the consultation launched by the county council in relation to how it met new guidance issued this year.

"Under the School Organisation Regulations 2014, an effective consultation is supposed to include the presentation of a number of options, including a form of the status quo," said Mrs Bruce.

"It should also look at how individual schools might be affected by the options, the likely costs of the changes and the sources of finance, as well as an assessment of the impact of the changes on the local community, including the impact on out of school activities.

"But the county council has never provided an option of keeping the status quo and there are no costings of figures available to the public.

"And there has been no assessment done of the number of children who access out of school activities at Dulverton.

"I just do not believe that the information the council has provided is sufficient for parents or others to make an informed response."

Mrs Bruce said those opposed to the changes felt as if the decision had been made a long time ago and that the middle school would become a primary.

"Understandably, the uncertainty surrounding this situation is disturbing for many parents and people concerned.

"The danger is that without clarity, people will want the upheaval to end and will opt for the quickest solution, hoping for stability.

"But the risk is that we could be left with a model of education that is stable but only satisfactory and not so well suited to our rural communities.

"Dulverton Middle is an educationally strong, unique school - the only reason for the proposed change is that it is currently £80,000 short of funds per year.

"I find it hard to believe that there is no way the council can find the money to keep the school running within its current structure."

Mrs Bruce said the action group wanted people across the district to respond to the consultation - even if only to request further information.

"It's such an important issue - in the long term the outcome will have an effect on the educational future of children right across West Somerset."

A public meeting in Dulverton in February was told by Julia Ridge, county council strategic manager for early years and school commissioning, that the cost of providing education for Dulverton catchment area children was higher than the national average.

She said Dulverton Middle was a small school by any standards and education chiefs did not want it to go from crisis to crisis.

With declining numbers predicted and the funding shortfall, the county council had a duty to find a solution to the situation.

Consultation responses can be made online at http://www.somersetconsults">www.somersetconsults.

org.uk/consult.ti/dulvertonagerangechange/

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