Parents’ online petition to save their school

Parents and former pupils of St Dominic’s Priory School are battling to save their school after being told it could close within months.

The independent school in Station Road has to find new backers after its founders unexpectedly withdrew their funding.

The English Dominican Congregation, which has run the school since it was founded in 1934, blamed falling pupil numbers for its decision.

It said: “The trustees have decided to withdraw from involvement with St Dominic’s at the end of the current academic year. Sadly, this means that the school may close at the end of the summer term.

“However, no decision has yet been made and will not be made until the staff have been consulted.”

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Shocked parents and former pupils have now set up an online petition to gather support for the school.

One Stone resident who has signed the petition is Rebecca Jones. She said: “St Doms is a lovely school and a central part of the local community. As a former pupil and a local resident I would hate to see it go.”

The school, which was rated as excellent by inspectors last term, teaches boys aged from two to 11 and girls up to 18. It had 198 pupils from across the county enrolled in November, of which just 26 were in Key Stage 1 and only two toddlers used the nursery.

Sister Pauline Burling, the chairman of the trustees and the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters, said: “We understand this decision will come as a shock to the whole school community. In spite of the strenuous efforts of our headteacher and her loyal staff, pupil numbers have declined in recent years.

“This decline has meant the school is drawing on its reserves, which are now almost depleted. In the current economic climate, the Congregation cannot continue to subsidise the school.”

She added: “Despite our efforts, we have been unable to find new owners and we do not have the substantial capital needed to make transferring ownership to a new trust a viable proposition.”