“The pressures on primary schools caused by the double whammy of inadequate per pupil funding and falling rolls has created a huge risk to the viability of many small primaries. There’s been no government strategy to mitigate that risk and there’s a real danger that more communities will lose schools which have been a feature of those communities for decades. The sector is working really hard to try to keep these schools open – cutting costs to the bone through measures such as mixed-aged classes. But there’s a point at which it’s not possible to employ enough staff to actually run a school and keep the doors open. The DfE has got to do more to support these schools.”