The Children & Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Warwickshire Council is scheduled to convene on Wednesday 6 May 2026. The primary focus of this meeting will be the call-in of a decision regarding the potential closure of Great Alne Primary School.

Call-In: Great Alne Primary School

The committee is set to consider a call-in request concerning the Cabinet's decision on 16 April 2026 to approve the closure of Great Alne Primary School from 31 August 2026. This call-in has been initiated by several councillors, including Councillor James Norris and Councillor Jennifer McAllister, who have raised several grounds for concern.

One of the key arguments presented is that the process of advertising the potential closure may have contributed to a decline in pupil numbers, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is suggested that the decision-makers should have considered this foreseeable effect on pupil numbers as a material consideration. Furthermore, concerns have been raised that parents were incorrectly informed that they could not select Great Alne Primary School as an option for September 2026 admissions, which may have artificially suppressed projected pupil numbers and not accurately reflected parental demand.

Another significant point of contention is the ongoing development of the South Warwickshire Local Plan, which includes proposals for up to 6,700 new houses in the Alcester and Wilmcote area. It is argued that this development will necessitate more school places locally, and therefore the decision on Great Alne Primary School's closure should be postponed until the Local Plan is finalised and future demand can be properly assessed. Finally, the increased cost of home-to-school transport for both the local authority and affected families, should the nearest school with places be some distance away, is also cited as a material consideration that should have been taken into account.

The committee will review the call-in request and decide whether to refer the matter back to the Cabinet for reconsideration, outlining its concerns in writing, or to take no further action. The report pack includes a detailed response to the areas of concern raised in the call-in notice, as well as the original Cabinet report and minutes from the Cabinet meeting on 16 April 2026.

The committee will also hear from members of the public who wish to speak on any matter within the remit of the committee.