PUPILS at a primary school set to close at the end of the academic year learned this week where they will be studying from next September.

Somerset County Council’s executive board agreed yesterday to publish statutory notices to formally close Blagdon Hill Primary School at the end of August.

The meeting heard there are only 16 pupils on the school roll – seven from the catchment area, where 70 primary age children live.

Councillors decided that children in Pitminster and Blagdon Hill will be included in Trull Primary School catchment area; Corfe will be part of Thurlbear’s intake; and the southern part of Blagdon Hill’s catchment will belong to Churchstanton Community Primary School.

Certain children will receive subsidised school bus travel.

The county says it is closing Blagdon Hill because: *it does not educate the majority of its local community; *£66,000 is needed to replace a temporary classroom; *pupils can be absorbed by other schools; *historically the community has not been greatly involved; *the school failed to establish ‘hard federation’ links with another school to save cash.

A county council spokesman said: “The statutory notices will be published in the County Gazette and posted outside the school in the week beginning December 8.

“The representation period will run for six weeks.

“Following the representation period, the proposal will be passed to the school organisation advisory panel before returning to the executive board on March 4, 2009 for a final decision.”