A school in Hampshire could close due to its low intake of pupils.

Hampshire County Council is set to hold a public consultation on the potential closure of Ampfield Church of England Primary School near Romsey.

The 84-place primary school in Romsey has seen a consistently low intake of new pupils in recent years and had only 26 pupils on its roll as of September 2023.

The move by the council follows an informal five-week public consultation, in autumn 2023, which gathered feedback on the potential closure of the school from residents.

The recommendation to close the school will be presented to the Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Edward Heron, on Friday, January 19.

Cllr Heron will launch a formal consultation, based on the recommendations made.

Councillor Alan Dowden, whose division covers the Ampfield area, said: “Many people in the area have concerns about this issue.

“Of the 26 pupils currently studying at Ampfield Church of England Primary School, only two of them are actually from the immediate local area.

“All of those 24 students are from the wider Southampton area, and with such few pupils this has created challenges such as mixed age group learning. 

“Obviously this isn’t the ideal way the curriculum is delivered, and it is not something that would be reflected well by Ofsted.”

The National Curriculum requires children to be taught specific sequences of knowledge according to their age.

School budgets are primarily based on the number of pupils on roll. The school has experienced growing pressure on its finances as a result of the low intake.

Cllr Dowden added: “It is of course up to the residents – through the consultations – but I find it difficult to put a case forward for a school when admissions are so low.”

Ampfield Primary School is partnered with John Keble Church of England Primary School in the village of Hursley – meaning both schools are led by the same headteacher but are funded separately. 

Should a decision be taken to hold a formal consultation, a public notice would be published.

In the event of a decision to close the school, children could be relocated to John Keble Primary School if their parents wished.