Warwick Davis, actor of the Harry Potter film series, is leading a campaign to prevent the closing of one of the oldest and smallest primary schools in the country, which he claims achieved “great things” for his son.
The senior actor who portrayed Professor Flitwick in the Hogwarts film series is challenging the Cambridgeshire County Council’s (CCC) decision to close the Great Gidding Church of England Primary School.
Warwick has cautioned that it would be a tragedy if the school were to go, as his son Harrison, who is now 20 years old, attended the modest institution.
Ten years ago, there were 75 students enrolled at the rural school, but there are today just 47.
Close near Huntingdon, 35 of these students came from outside the school’s primarily rural catchment region in rural Cambridgeshire.
This year is expected to have an even smaller class size, with more than 40 students registered to attend the school that can accommodate 90 students.
CCC is currently considering closing the school this summer, but parents claim the school is essential for rural Huntingdonshire youngsters who “thrive” in the “exceptional environment they provide.”
In a Tweet, the 53-year-old Star Wars actor Warwick stated, “This school did wonderful things for my son, Harrison Davis.” It would be tragic if it were to close.
Please sign the petition below if you are inclined and believe in good education and learning settings. Thanks!’
There are presently 821 signatures on the online petition, which also highlights the lack of availability for admission to the other elementary schools in the vicinity.
The parent of a six-year-old girl who attends the school is Christopher Jakins.
The stay-at-home father stated that without Warwick’s intervention, their fight to save the school would have failed: “We have had more media attention and the news has spread further and wider than it would have.”
Last week, Warwick attended a public meeting where councillors were required to present “with a Hollywood legend right in front of them!” accordance with Chris
Chris also stated that the little school had done wonders for his unnamed daughter. Due to the epidemic, her reading and social abilities were delayed.
According to him, our daughter emerged from the epidemic with delayed reading and writing skills.
Due to lockdowns, she was unable to interact with those of her own age group. As a result, she was nearly terrified of all humans.
The combination of reduced class sizes, mixed-year courses, and individualized instruction has allowed her students to make significant progress.
Chris also knows another family that recently relocated to the area to be closer to the school.
Since then, the Children and Young People Committee of CCC has initiated a consultation to solicit feedback on the prospective closure and the relocation of students to other suitable local schools.
The council proposes the construction of a new school to open in September 2024.
The chairman of the committee, Cllr. Bryony Goodliffe, stated, “This is a significant consultation with significant implications for Great Gidding Primary School.”
“It is crucial that we consider the opinions of everyone, thus we seek the opinions of as many individuals as possible.
This will allow us to make an informed judgment regarding our next moves.
»Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis fights to keep a historic primary school open«