A rural school is set to close due to low pupil numbers. 

Plans to close Rookhope Primary School, the smallest in County Durham, by September next year, have been revealed by Durham County Council. 

The local authority says just five pupils are currently registered at the school with none predicted to be on roll by 2027. 

They are currently being taught at St John’s Chapel Primary School. 

Council officials say there are other schools in the Upper Weardale area that are within a reasonable travelling distance that pupils could attend who would be displaced from Rookhope Primary School.

Other small primary schools in the upper dales include Wearhead and St John’s Chapel. The former Forest of Teesdale School closed in 2022. 

A decision was recently made to widen the curriculum for pupils at the school in collaboration with the other schools.

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Officers believe the proposal provides the best future option for the children, the school, and the community it serves based on educational outcomes, pupil numbers, site issues and sustainable finances.

The pupils currently attending St John’s Chapel receive free school transport throughout the year and the scheme is set to continue should the school close. 

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The latest proposal comes seven years after parents successfully campaigned to save the school from closure. 

A public consultation on the proposal is due to end on October 29. 

A final decision on the school’s future is due in February 2024.