Protest held outside Parkfield School by parents and pupils

PARKFIELD School parents and students have protested its closure.

Not stopped by rain, a group of parents and children gathered outside Parkfield School on Sunday, June 30, to protest the shock decision by Reach South to close it.

Holding signs that stated 'Hands off Parkfield' and 'We love Parkfield and we won't give up', a unanimous opinion was expressed that their children have been left without education for the next school year.

Parent of a Parkfield pupil, Carly Painter, 41, said: "It was tragic, we got an email at 4.30pm on a Friday. The Saturday morning we all woke up and it was like somebody died.

"My daughter is anaphylactic and allergic to nuts even when it's airborne and this is the only nut-free school in Dorset.

"What she keeps saying is 'well, if I die, I'll come back and haunt Reach South."

Parkfield has made provisions for all of year 11 to have continued teaching at the school, however, some at the protest stated that no teachers have been organised to guarantee this at this time.

Other pupils will be given an option of another school, however, parents have complained that it means the future of their children is 'not in our hands'.

Another Parkfield parent, Phil Taylor, 49, said: "It's not in our hands anymore. It was all about getting him through senior school, and doing the best he possibly could in the best possible school.

"Now we're going to be given a school that we don't want him to go to and if we don't accept that place, then we won't have a place for September.

"We're being held to ransom."

Phil's son, Oscar Taylor, 12, said he has been left frustrated by the decision and was also recently diagnosed with diabetes, with Parkfield able to give him the needed support.

Incumbent MP for Christchurch, Sir Christopher Chope, also appeared at the protest and said the general election has stopped him from taking action.

He continued to say that Reach South had promised him that parents would receive offers of alternative schools from June 17, however, this is yet to happen.