A PRIMARY school in East Yorkshire faces closure as the cost per pupil is more than twice the national average.

Langtoft Primary School in Driffield has just 20 pupils on its roll. It was recently rated “Good” by Ofsted, the Government’s education watchdog, winning praise for the relationships between staff and pupils, the good quality of teaching and excellent partnership work with other schools.

However, the school is currently at risk of closure after East Riding of Yorkshire Council claimed the current cost for pupils at Langtoft was £12,855 per head, compared to an average of £3,757 around the rest of the region.

Mark Kelly, chairman of the governors, said the suggestion the school could close was “ripping the heart out of the community”.

He said: “We are very disappointed in the way the council came out and said it’s expensive, but that figure can be whittled down, I’m sure.

“We believe it’s everyone’s right to be educated in their own community. It’s the postcode lottery again, and they assume just because you live in a village, you don’t really mind.”

Consultation on the closure started this week and runs until March 8, with a final decision expected from the council in May or June.

A council spokesman said the decision was due to changes to the Government funding formula.

“Schools in East Riding of Yorkshire already receive one of the lowest funding levels in the country, this will mean that many schools will struggle financially and some may no longer be viable or sustainable in their current form,” said the spokesman.

“Whenever we review the future of a school, we will always look for ways to help it to become more viable and sustainable, but this is not always possible.

“We will be consulting everyone who is affected by the reviews and take into account their views before presenting any proposals to the cabinet of the council.”

Mr Kelly said: “We are deailing with children’s education here, their lives, and we really need to make the right and best-informed choice for the children.”