A DOOMED Winsford school will close its doors for the final time at the end of the week.
On Friday afternoon school’s out forever for pupils at Handley Hill Primary, off Beeston Drive - despite a two-year battle between governors and county education chiefs.
The school was first nominated for closure in June 2007 after the now-defunct Cheshire County Council’s controversial TLC (Transforming Learning Communities) review, which aimed to counter growing surplus place at the town’s schools.
Pupil numbers at nearby Darnhall and Over Hall were also examined, but Handley Hill was sacrificed despite a lower percentage of surplus spots than its neighbours.
Governors and supporters of the school took their case to an ombudsman after head of children’s services at Cheshire County Council, David Rowlands, condemned it to closure in December 2007, despite his colleagues voting 25-22 to keep it earlier that month.
But the campaigners’ case to keep it open was officially discontinued in November last year.
Handley Hill was named School of the Year in the 2008 Chronicle/Scottish Power Your Champions awards, in recognition of the tireless efforts of everyone connected with the school to keep it open.
But in April this year the school was ranked one of the worst performing in Cheshire when the Key Stage 2 national curriculum league tables were published.
Only 45% of its 188 pupils reached the required standard in English, and just 32% in Maths.
