Primary school to close due to lack of teachers

Leicestershire County Council say it is supporting parents to find alternative primary places for their children after a school in North West Leicestershire announced it will close this summer.

Governors voted to close Diseworth Church of England Primary School from the end of this academic year following the loss of staff, leaving it without any teachers and support staff for the start of the next school year.

The primary school, in a small village near to East Midlands Airport, was expected to have 35 children on roll for 2026/27, less than half of the 84-pupil capacity it can accommodate.

Diseworth Primary School has, for a number of years, not been financially sustainable due to falling pupil numbers and an increasing surplus of school places due to declining birth rates, an issue which has been experienced nationally by all primary schools.

All teaching staff have chosen to move to new jobs, and with the teacher notice period to leave at the end of the summer term being 31 May, there is no time to recruit any new staff.

Leicestershire County Council officers say they will be supporting parents to find alternative school places, with the council reassuring parents that there are more than enough available places locally.

Councillor Charles Pugsley, cabinet member for children and families, said:

“This is a sad day for Diseworth CE Primary School but our team will work tirelessly to make sure every child has a school place for the next academic year.

“I know the governors have worked extremely hard to make the school sustainable, so this will not have been an easy decision for them. I want to thank them and the school staff for everything they’ve done to try and make the school viable.

“It’s absolutely vital that this county has sustainable and successful schools. Our school places strategy is working to do exactly this – making sure high quality school places are available in the right place at the right time.”

Any families who need support with applying for an alternative school place should contact the School Admissions Service by calling 0116 305 2070.

Fosse 107 contacted the school for a statement, which was sent from Leicestershire County Council, in the name of the governors at Diseworth primary school.

"We know all of us as governors were devastated to have had to make this difficult decision.
The school has faced financial challenges since 2020 due to falling school numbers. There was no sign of these challenges changing for the better, leading to all teaching staff choosing to find jobs elsewhere. This left us no option but to close the school from the next academic year. We would like to thank all parents for their support and reiterate that each and every parent will be supported in finding their child an alternative school place.”