Following on from yesterday’s “green” blog, communities may find there are more knock-on effects, especially in rural areas. When the money runs out, the spectre of closing smaller village schools and combining them into much bigger primary schools sited where the middle schools used to be could become reality.
That would really show efficiencies of scale. It would also show a complete and utter lack of understanding of why many people choose to live in the countryside.
Save Middle Schools - The Blog 
This is one of the most worrying bits about the whole change and the effects will not just be felt in the rurality. If the bigger schools in the town are kept then we could have a very small number of supersized primaries away from their main localities. Even in the town this would mean more congestion, more transport problems less community cohesion as areas of the town are ‘thrown’ together in order to make the change affordable rather than in the best interests of the children.
…and then there is the unbelievable prospect of having schools that were originally built as secondary moderns being ‘refurbished’ to apparently fit for purpose for nursery/reception children.
…and this is supposed to be better!
If small, rural village schools close (and for all their ‘enthusiasm’ to keep them, the councillors will surely not be able to) then the prospect of children (including the very youngest Reception children) being bussed across the countryside is not a pleasant one. It seems to me that practical issues, such as this example, have not been considered by councillors who are only intent on making a name for themselves. I fear, however, at the end of the day. that the name might not be the one they’re hoping for!
Unfortunately, this is the most probable future – fewer very large schools. Bedford Borough starts off in financial difficulties – remember “the unexpected debt inherited from the County Council”. The current Council Officers were recruited for their opinion and support for a change to 2-tier. They cannot back down now. They have already shown their preference to only select evidence to support 2-tier; they will seek the most optimistic financial estimates that can be made regardless of the risk. The believers in 2-tier will make no risk estimates that the financial or the educational outcomes they spin to the public and Councillors will come about. All the available evidence that educational attainment will fall and that their extremely optimistic financial estimates will be vastly exceeded is being ignored. (Just consider Northamptonshire and Suffolk).