Safeguarding rural schools

That this House celebrates the vital role rural schools play in sustaining village life, supporting families, strengthening local identity and providing equitable access to education; notes that temporary fluctuations in pupil numbers are common in rural areas and should not alone justify permanent closure; expresses concern that the loss of rural schools removes essential community infrastructure, reduces local educational choice, weakens social cohesion and forces families to travel further at additional cost and inconvenience; further notes that proposed changes to home-to-school transport policies in Warwickshire risk compounding these pressures by leaving many rural families without safe routes or adequate transport support; believes that local authorities should work constructively with rural communities to support school viability and explore solutions that avoid irreversible closures; calls on Warwickshire County Council to better understand the particular challenges facing rural schools when making decisions about their future; and highlights the important contribution of village schools such as Great Alne Primary in Stratford-on-Avon constituency, urging Warwickshire County Council to support the school and work with the community to secure its long-term future rather than pursuing closure.