Cambridgeshire County Council on the 9th January 2023, published a paper to its Children and Young People Committee which considers the potential for the closure of Great Gidding C of E (VC) School at the end of the summer term 2023. This will be considered by the County Council’s Children & Young People’s Committee at its meeting next week on Tuesday 17 January at 14:00.

There are many reasons, why we need this school to remain open and petition against this decision. The schools in this area are at capacity in many of the year groups and will not improve in the years to come, I state this as Huntingdonshire District Council has recently approved the build of another 340 houses and a Primary School in the Sawtry. The primary School which is proposed to be built, is expected to hold around 420 pupils, however at this time we cannot take this into account as a possible placement for the children, who will be forced to leave Great Gidding Church of England Primary School if the closure is approved, as they have not even began to build the foundations, and it is not due to open until September 2024. The proposed date for the closure of Great Gidding Church of England school will be the end of the school year 2023.  

Below is the admissions data from Cambridgeshire County council’s website, showing spaces available in schools within a 10 mile radius. 

Sawtry Infant School, 5.1 miles from Great Gidding School, has no availability in any year groups for new students. This school only teaches reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
Sawtry Junior School, 5.1 miles from Great Gidding School, only has availability for new students in years 3, 4 and 5. This school only teaches years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Folksworth Church of England Primary School, 5.6 miles from Great Gidding School, has no availability for new students in years 3, 4 and 6. This school teaches all years from Reception to Year 6.
Alconbury Primary School, 8 miles from Great Gidding School, only has availability for new students in years 3, and 6. This school teaches all years from Reception to Year 6.
Holme Church of England Primary School, 10 miles from Great Gidding School, has no availability for new students in years Reception, years1 and 6. This school teaches all years from Reception to Year 6.
As you can see from the information above, should Great Gidding Church of England Primary school close, finding another school within reasonable distance will be extremely difficult, even more so for those with more than one child at Junior school ages. 

There are many children who attend Great Gidding Church of England Primary School, who have thrived due to the exceptional environment they provide. Whilst Great Gidding Church of England primary School is a smaller school in comparison to those in the area, this is what makes them that much better. The teachers and all staff members are compassionate, caring, and welcoming. They always have time for you and the children. The school is a place of learning but also teaches the children values. 

I have taken the below information from their website. I have included this and highlighted an important part. This school is exceptional and important to many because of this point. None of us are the same and as such should not be treated as such.  As a school Great Gidding Church of England Primary School encourage and nurture this. Each child is treated as an individual, with respect, and taught with their own strengths and qualities in mind.

At Great Gidding Church of England School, we are committed to creating a culture that;

• is hands-on, with an enquiry led curriculum journey, which ensures that each child's strengths and unique qualities are developed under the guidance of a progressive and nurturing team.
• believes all children are entitled to an education that is creative, inspiring, and personalised to each individual.
• nurtures resourceful and resilient life-long learners, who strive to become future leaders.

Great Gidding Church of England Primary School has been serving the community of the parish of Great Gidding since 1846.  Our vision for education is deeply Christian, with Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' at its heart.In line with the Church of England's role as the established Church, our vision is for the common good of the whole community.Educating for wisdom, knowledge and skills: enabling discipline, confidence and delight in seeking wisdom and knowledge, and developing talents in all areas of life.Educating for hope and aspiration: enabling healing, repair and renewal, coping wisely when things go wrong, opening horizons and guiding people into ways of fulfilling them.Educating for community and living well together: a core focus on relationships, participation in communities and the qualities of character that enable people to flourish together.Educating for dignity and respect: the basic principle of respect for the value and preciousness of each person, treating each person as a unique individual of inherent worth.Great Gidding Church of England Primary School VisionTo Grow Great Learners by providing high quality primary education embedded with the teachings of Jesus.  “The fourth ground was good soil that allowed the seed to plant deep, grow strong, and produce fruit.”

On a final note, thank you for reading this far, we hope we can count on your signature, and you join our petition to keep our amazing school open and providing the exceptional education for students for many years to come. 

Click here to give your opinion to Cambridgeshire County Council about the closure of our beloved school- https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/GGconsultation/?fbclid=IwAR1NGclgrq20-5KkGYZm_ZEbb-MRkoFhKJwGp1HGmgvtUyPlxCLZ_T-8L-c

Sources:
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/21.12.2022-schools-with-available-places.pdf

www.greatgidding.cambs.sch.uk/vision-and-mission/
www.greatgidding.cambs.sch.uk/our-christian-values/

publicaccess.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=RBTTU8IKMCF00&activeTab=summary