It may not be outstanding but the Customers are Satisfied

4.05.05pm GMT Wed 8th Nov 2006

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for Schools Planning and Support, and DCC officials David Humphrey (Head of Development - Schools Places Planning Capital Programme) and Chris Tilling (Deputy Assistant Director in the Education Improvement Department), were left in no doubt at the strength of local opposition to their plan to close Stoney Middleton CE (C) Primary School on Thursday 2nd November. Feelings ran high when over 150 parents, children, village residents, former pupils - the community united to express their anger at the closure proposals. The local MP - the Right Hon Patrick McLoughlin also attended, to support the village in its campaign to save the school.

Chris Tilling started by saying there was one thing which we would all agree on:- "What is best for the children of Stoney Middleton" but this was the last time there was agreement.

As soon as David Humphrey began to talk it became apparent that numbers and costs were fundamental to the argument.

Parents, residents and former pupils talked about the quality of the school and its central role in the village. In the words of one parent:-

"We can't let you shut our school down, for our children's sake, for our community, for everything that we stand for here. We have such a brilliant brilliant community we can't just allow you to come and tell us to shut it down."

Later in the meeting Chris Tilling referred to "confidential information" which he could not disclose contained in the annual "School Improvement Reviews" produced by the advisers in his department which at no point refers to Stoney Middleton as an "outstanding school".

But to loud cheers Les Lennon commented "It may not be outstanding but the customers are satisfied"

One former pupil Samantha said:-

"I was a former pupil; there were 10 of us in my year group. Of the 10 of us, 8 are now in higher education. It says in the news that British teenagers are the worst in Europe. Why is it that we are all doing so well then?"

Sue Bettney, a governor, spoke for everyone at the meeting:-

"The young people who have spoken - what does that say to you? We turn out confident caring young people who will make a contribution to this society. We're asking you to do what your corporate banner says and improve our lives by not even considering closing this school."