School closures 'can't be ruled out' with three villages said to be at 'real risk'

THE potential closure of some Kirklees primary schools "cannot be ruled out", the council has said, as the number of children starting in reception continues to plummet.

- By ABIGAIL MARLOW

A report to this week's meeting of Kirklees Council's Children's Scrutiny Panel sets out the challenges being experienced as a result of the falling numbers.

It explains that sizes of reception classes have been on the decline since the population peaked in 2015/16, with this expected to continue.

This trend - which is also being experienced elsewhere in the UK - is placing financial pressure on some local schools, with the vast majority of their funding being based on the number of pupils on roll in October.

The most popular schools are said to have a "degree of protection" from the impacts of a dwindling population, though the greater choice available to parents can exacerbate the negative financial repercussions felt by schools that are less popular, the report explains.