Statutory consultation to be requested on future of The Clere School

Following a formal request by the school’s governing body, Hampshire County Council recently ran a non-statutory public consultation on a proposal to close the school from 31 August 2027. It follows a decline in pupil numbers with 241 children on roll at the start of this month, despite overall capacity for 725.

At an upcoming Decision Day on Tuesday 20 October, Councillor Roz Chadd, the County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, will consider feedback from the initial public consultation alongside a recommendation to now proceed with a statutory consultation.

The Clere School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11-16 in Burghclere. Over time, the school has seen fewer children coming through from local primary schools, reflecting a trend of falling birth rates nationally. In addition, many families in the school’s catchment are also opting for other secondary schools over the border in West Berkshire or Wiltshire. This has resulted in reduced demand for places at The Clere, with forecasts showing that this trend is set to continue over the next five to ten years.

In January 2025, Ofsted found that the school required significant improvement. Despite making a number of positive changes since then, and ongoing strategic support from the County Council, pupil numbers have remained low. This has a direct financial impact because the majority of Government funding for schools is based on the number of pupils attending. The Clere’s declining pupil numbers have therefore led to substantial financial pressure, also affecting its ability to provide a broad and effective curriculum and to recruit and retain staff.

In April 2025, the school was advised by Government that it must convert to an academy. However, despite efforts by the Department for Education, no suitable academy trust has been willing to take the school on. Taken together, these challenges have raised significant concerns about the school’s long-term financial and educational viability.

An initial consultation on the school’s proposed closure ran from Friday 4 September until Friday 2 October, and included three public drop-in events. Should Councillor Chadd agree next week to now move to a statutory consultation, a public notice would be published on the County Council’s website allowing parents, the local community and others with an interest in the school to give their views on the proposal. A final decision would then be taken at a further Decision Day meeting before the end of this year.

In the event of a closure, the County Council is proposing to give children at The Clere the option to transfer to The Hurst School in Tadley. Visit the County Council’s website for full details of the proposal.