1. Notice is hereby given, in accordance with Section 15 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and The School Organisation (Establishment and Discontinuance of Schools) Regulations 2013 that Hampshire County Council, Elizabeth II Court, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8UG intends to discontinue THE CLERE SCHOOL, Earlstone Common, Burghclere, Newbury, RG20 9HP (category of school – Community) with effect from 31 August 2027.

2. The Clere School is a 725-place community secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 (145 per year group), located in the rural village of Burghclere in north-west Hampshire, close to the border with West Berkshire. On 13 May 2026 the school’s chair of governors on behalf of the governing body wrote to Hampshire County Council requesting that it initiate the statutory closure process, and undertake the required consultation/s, on the grounds of financial and educational unviability of the school. The proposal is to close The Clere School with effect from 31 August 2027.

3. The Clere School had 221 pupils on roll as of the date of publication. The school has experienced a sustained decline in pupil numbers over a prolonged period, reflecting changing demographics, lower primary-age pupil numbers, established patterns of parental preference and, more recently, the impact of the school’s most recently published Ofsted outcomes. Current forecasts indicate that pupil numbers will remain significantly below capacity for the foreseeable future, reducing the funding available to the school. Alongside a forecast unrecoverable financial deficit, this significantly challenges the school’s ability to sustain a broad and balanced curriculum, wider educational opportunities and necessary improvements in educational provision and outcomes. Closure is therefore proposed in response to these continuing educational, organisational and financial challenges.

4. Pupils currently attending The Clere School and those who will still be on roll at the point of closure will automatically transfer to the roll of The Hurst School. Accommodation planning is underway to ensure sufficient capacity is available to accommodate additional pupils. Changes to primary and secondary school admission arrangements will be required. Vernham Dean Gillum’s Church of England (CE) Primary School and Hurstbourne Tarrant CE Primary School will be linked to Testbourne Community School, with their catchment areas forming part of an enlarged Testbourne catchment. Burghclere Primary School, Ashford Hill Primary School, Woolton Hill Junior School, Ecchinswell and Sydmonton CE Primary School, Kingsclere CE Primary School and St Martin’s East Woodhay CE Primary School will be linked to The Hurst School, with their catchment areas forming part of an enlarged Hurst catchment. These proposed changes would need to be agreed by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator for 2027/28 and 2028/29 as part of a variation application and then determined as part of the statutory consultation on admission arrangements in 2029/30 by the governing body of Testbourne Community School (as admission authority for the school) and Hampshire County Council (as admission authority for The Hurst School).  Parents remain entitled to make in-year applications to other schools at any time. 

5. School Transport assistance will be provided for any pupils who qualify in accordance with the Hampshire County Council’s published policy: https://documents.hants.gov.uk/transport-home-to-school/schooltransportpolicy2026.pdf 

6. This Notice is an extract from the complete proposal. Copies of the complete proposal may be obtained from Rebecca Prowting, Strategic Development Officer, Children’s Services Department, EII Court North, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8UG; e-mail: [email protected]

7. Within four weeks of the date of publication, any person may object and make comments on the proposal by sending them to the details listed above by 4 December 2026.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]