Parents have branded a council decision to close a small primary school as a “final insult”.
The Great Gidding Church of England Primary, near Sawtry in Cambridgeshire, has 47 pupils, with the number expected to fall below 40 by September.
Cambridgeshire County Council said it was not profitable and agreed to close it on August 31.
Parent Chris Jakins said the closure would “destroy a much-needed rural school”.
A final decision was made after consultation with staff, children, parents, governors, unions and the local diocese, the council said.
It cited declining student enrollments and the resulting financial unprofitability, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
But Mr Jakins, whose daughter attended the school, called the decision the “final insult”.
He added: “You [pupils] are better people and will make the world a better place. They will achieve this despite the challenges imposed on them.
“We are deeply grateful to all the staff for making it what it was and still is, at least for now, a loving, caring and vital school.”
Parent Emma Bhamra, who has two daughters, said the school has been “a blessing” for her.
She said her eldest daughter had a rare disease and her needs were “lost” in bigger schools, but she said staff “did everything” to look after her.
The school was also previously supported by actor Warwick Davis, who tweeted, “This school has done great things for my son… it would be a farce to see them up close.”
The school’s catchment area included the villages of Great Gidding, Little Gidding and Steeple Gidding, as well as Winwick and Hamerton, and enrollment had declined from 75 in the last 10 years.
The council said: “Officials were concerned that the small and steadily declining number of students at the school was affecting its ability to provide the breadth of educational experience to which students are entitled.”
The Children and Young People’s Committee meeting heard parents of children displaced by the closure can apply for a place at a school of their choice, with the closest alternative schools being in Sawtry.
Another primary school was due to open in Sawtry in September 2024.
Councilors also agreed to approve financial aid for door-to-school transportation and uniform costs for eligible students affected by the closure.
Bryony Goodliffe, chair of the committee, said it was “a difficult decision to make”.
“Nothing in the responses received convinced us that it would be either reasonable or prudent – or in the children’s educational interest – to keep the school open beyond August 2023,” she said.
Canon Andrew Read, Director of Education for the Diocese of Ely, described the closure as “a regrettable but unavoidable decision given the resources available for schools of this size”.
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