Manuela Perteghella

Manuela Perteghella

Liberal Democrat — Stratford-on-Avon

Speaking in the House of Commons on 10 December 2025

Debate

Village Schools

Contribution

I fully agree with the hon. Member. I hope to hear from the Minister about funding for rural schools. Nowhere has the pressure been felt more deeply in my constituency than at Great Alne primary school, which is threatened with closure by Reform-led Warwickshire county council. In recent months, I have received heartfelt testimonies from parents, former pupils, former members of staff and the community. They describe a school that is not simply an educational setting but a family. They spoke of small classes where every child is known, of all the residents coming into school to read, to join lunchtime activities and to share talks on space, and of children visiting the retirement village to sing Christmas carols, forging intergenerational friendships. They told me that the school has been the beating heart of the village: a place where friendships form, where confidence grows and where children who might struggle in larger settings are able to thrive.

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