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Failing Chaucer School in Canterbury 'to close' Failing Chaucer School in Canterbury to close
(about 1 hour later)
A secondary school which was placed into special measures a year ago is to close, the BBC understands. A secondary school which was placed into special measures a year ago is to be shut down.
Kent County Council was expected to announce the closure of The Chaucer School in Canterbury about 14:00 GMT, following days of speculation over its future. Kent County Council announced the closure of The Chaucer School in Canterbury following days of speculation over its future.
BBC South East Today understands pupils are being told about the closure at a meeting at the school. Pupils have been told about the closure of the school, which was judged inadequate in an Ofsted inspection in February 2013.
The school was judged inadequate in an Ofsted inspection in February 2013. The county council said the decision had been taken with a heavy heart.
'Anxious parents''Anxious parents'
A further monitoring inspection in November found it was "making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures". A further monitoring inspection by Ofsted in November last year found the school was "making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures".
The co-educational technology school had 845 students aged 11 to 18 at the last inspection, but numbers had been dwindling. The co-educational technology school had 845 students aged 11 to 18 at the last inspection but numbers have since dwindled to 600.
Last week, the council issued a statement regretting local press speculation about the school. Younger children will be found places in other schools from September but those in year 10 will be able to stay for another year.
"We recognise that parents, pupils and staff may now be anxious," it said. Years 11 and 12 will get help finding places at other schools and colleges or work with training.
"We will inform staff and write to every parent next week to clarify the situation." It is believed the school had a budget deficit of nearly £1m.
'Very angry'
Julian Brazier, Conservative MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, said a collapse in the number of applications for places over the past two or three years had played a big part in its financial difficulties.
"It was starting to work its way out of special measures but it wasn't getting better fast enough," he said.
"Parents weren't persuaded and the fact that so few of them have chosen this for their children in the forthcoming year has left Kent County Council with very few choices."
Independent education adviser Peter Read said he was very angry for the pupils.
"I think some of them will carry a chip on their shoulder as a result of their education being, frankly, messed up by other people and that is an absolute disgrace," he said.
Councillor Roger Gough said: "With numbers dropping, the school is no longer viable - it does not have enough pupils to bring in the funding required to provide the resources needed.
"In this situation, the county council has little option but to find alternative places for the children currently at Chaucer."