School's eleventh hour reprieve (From Wirral Globe)

School's eleventh hour reprieve

2:00am Wednesday 12th April 2006 in Search By Staff reporter

A VEIL of uncertainty has been lifted from a Birkenhead primary school following a decision that it should stay open.

St Paul's Catholic Primary School in Beechwood was one of four schools in the town earmarked for closure when the council undertook a review into ways to cut the number of surplus places.

Wirral Council closed three schools in February while the decision on the future of St Paul's was sent to an independent schools adjudicator who ruled that the school should stay open.

After a day celebrating the run-up to Easter the whole school was taken to the hall where head teacher Margaret Jackson relayed the good news resulting in a whoop of joy.

Six-year-old Megan Nolan was eager to praise her school: "I'm so pleased the school is staying open - I love it here."

And praise for the school and its teachers was contagious as youngsters queued up to tell the Globe why they love St Paul's.

"I'm so pleased the school is staying open - I love it here."

Megan Nolan, 6

Year six pupil, eleven-year-old James O'Brien, enthused: "I like coming to school, the teachers are great and I get to see my friends.I'll be sorry to leave."