Parents at Hoveringham are having to face the possibility of the closure of the village school.
The news comes at a time when the school roll stands at 11 although projections for the next five years show that this figure is likely to increase as there are 22 children in the village under the age of five years.
The main concern of the community is that the closure of the school would mean that the children would have to be sent out of the village for their schooling by bus, most children leaving home some 30-45 minutes earlier than at present. They are very concerned for the children’s safety i.e. open railway crossings, lorries entering and leaving Hoveringham Gravels and also in bad weather. The alternative school would be inaccesible for parents in the event of a child’s illness at school, and the children would be excluded from outside activities.
Low Cost Housing: One factor which has contributed to the impending fate of the village school has been the local attitude to housing in the village. Many of the smaller houses in Hoveringham have been amalgamated or extended by new owners thus removing a vital first rung on the housing ladder from young married couple who would support the school.
At the same time there has been an increasing reaction against proposals for more low-cost housing in the village – thus making the situation worse.
An Action Committee has been formed led by Mr Ken Clifford and Mrs Lynne Clarke.
Extract from The Bramley January 1983