Former Mountfield and Whatlington school building to be sold

Mountfield and Whatlington Primary School closed to pupils in August 2014.

Last month the Secretary of State for Education gave the local authority the green-light to sell the building, which the council had previously declared “surplus to requirements”.

It is expected to be put on the market shortly.

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We are working jointly with the Diocese of Chichester, on behalf of the school trustees, on this former school site.

“The school closed in the summer of 2014 and we declared the site as surplus to requirements.

“Last month consent was received from the Secretary of State to dispose of the land and we are now working with the diocese to look at a range of options for marketing the site to potential buyers.”

The council added that it was “too early to say” what the site may be used for.

Mountfield and Whatlington was placed in special measures following an Ofsted inspection in April 2012.

The inspector’s report criticised the quality of teaching, leadership and achievement of pupils at the school.

An interim inspection in March 2013 said the school was ‘making reasonable progress’ towards being lifted out of special measures.

But parents were dealt a blow in June when they received a letter informing them that the council was considering the future of the school.

A consultation followed, but supporters of the school criticised the council, claiming it failed to advertise the consultation period widely enough.

Cllr Peter Miles, vice chairman of Mountfield Parish Council, said the building had ‘some of the best facilities for miles around’.

The council cited falling pupil numbers and concerns over standards as the main reasons behind the closure.

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