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Friday, 16 November, 2001, 20:41 GMT
Two Bristol secondary schools 'to close'
Lawrence Weston School
Lawrence Weston School in the smallest in Bristol
Two Bristol secondary schools have been put on the closure list after a review of education across the city.

A new school is likely to be built in the north of the city.

No decision has been made on whether to establish an Asian school in Bristol.

One of the schools facing closure, Lawrence Weston, was filmed for a BBC series on troubled institutions by the business guru Sir John Harvey Jones.

Lockleaze School is also proposed for closure because it is a mile from the housing estate from which it draws most of its pupils.

Cary Grant

Pupil numbers are far below capacity, with only 40 in the sixth form.

Fairfield, the former school of the film star Cary Grant, is to continue serving inner-city St Pauls and Easton.

Lockleaze School
Lockleaze School is too far from pupils' homes
Parents had campaigned to prevent the racially-diverse high school merging with Lockleaze.

All 20 of Bristol's secondary schools were under review, following alarm over the state of education in the city.

The report released on Friday contained recommendations only.

Bristol city councillors make the final decision early in 2002.

'No chance'

The heads of Lawrence Weston and Lockleaze schools broke the news to staff and pupils on Friday afternoon, ahead of an official announcement at 1700 GMT.

Sir John Harvey Jones at the start of his filming had said Lawrence Weston school did not stand "a cat in hell's chance" of survival.

But a year on, he returned to find himself proved wrong.

But despite better exam results and an improved place in the league tables, Lawrence Weston is still classed as too expensive to run.

It has only 320 pupils, and no sixth form.

The recommended new school is being seen as good news for families in the north of the city, who have long complained that their children had nowhere local to go once beyond primary age.


Click here to go to Bristol
See also:

23 Oct 01 | England
Fight to save Cary Grant's school
29 Mar 01 | Education
Bristol school cuts worry inspectors
16 Feb 01 | Education
Bristol braced for school cuts
14 Feb 01 | UK Politics
Bristol voters say no to tax increase
20 Sep 00 | Education
Bristol schools face major shake-up
19 Sep 00 | Education
Councils keep control of school budgets
09 Oct 98 | Education
Funding review may hit deprived areas
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