Milfield First School near Wooler closes forever

Jul 25 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

MORE than 130 years of schooling in a North East village came to an end yesterday, amid emotional scenes.

Milfield First School, near Wooler, closed its doors for the last time two months after Northumberland County Council decided to shut it. The loss of the village’s only school came after an approach to the council by governors who were concerned that falling pupil numbers were making it no longer viable. On its last day the school had a roll of just seven full-time and two part-time pupils.

Its closure is the end of an era for Milfield where a school first opened in 1874.

Since then, the village and surrounding area had Milfield Camp School, based on a local airfield, with the current building opening in 1963. More recently the school survived two attempts to close it.

A local protest campaign saw off a county council attempt to shut it in 2000, and in 2005 governors did a U-turn after initially proposing its demise. The school hit the headlines in 2000 when then-headteacher Elizabeth Carey was suspended and subsequently stood down amid allegations she slapped pupils. Charges were brought against her but later dropped.

Since the decision to close the school was taken, a display of old photos and documents has been staged and Berwick MP Sir Alan Beith has visited.

Pupils have been taken on a trip to York and, with parents, for a family fun day at Dunbar. And yesterday, the final assembly took place with presentations to pupils, staff and governors.

Headteacher Dave Vero said: “It is sad. Some members of staff have been here for a long time, they have fought closure in the past so for them it is emotional.”

“The decision to close has been repeatedly stated by the local authority and the governors, it is not because of the standards, it is because of the financial implications on education standards.”

All pupils at the school are to transfer to Wooler First School, five miles away, from September and have visited several times this term to get used to their surroundings. Mr Vero is to become deputy head at Red Row First School. The council last night voiced its regret at the loss of the school.

Trevor Doughty, executive director of people, said: “The county council is saddened that Milfield First School has had to closely simply as a result of there not being enough children. The county council wishes to thank everyone who has been associated with Milfield School and wishes everyone, particularly the children, every success in the future.”