Council plans to close Castle Hall school

Mar 5 2009 By Barry Gibson

HEAD TEACHER Andy Pugh has spoken of his anguish at having to tell his staff that Kirklees Council plans to close their school.

He told the Examiner that teachers at Castle Hall School were “devastated” to learn the news yesterday. Mr Pugh said: “They are extremely disappointed.”

Councillors first proposed closing the Mirfield school last year. But parents and teachers had hoped a change of power in Kirklees in January would lead to Castle Hall being saved.

Mr Pugh promised the fight to keep the school open would continue. He said: “There’s lots of opposition from parents and governors to the plan.”

The joint Labour-Lib Dem Kirklees Cabinet announced the closure proposal yesterday as part of a new plan to invest £200m of Government money into schools.

The news will come as a bitter blow to hundreds of pupils, parents and teachers who have campaigned to keep the high-achieving school open since it was first lined up for the axe last year.

The new Labour/Lib Dem Kirklees Council Cabinet announced plans yesterday to spend £200m of Government cash on schools in Mirfield, Dewsbury, Batley and the Spen Valley.