EDUCATION bosses have announced the closure of an historic school and the loss of up to 100 jobs.

Officials at Crowthorn School, in Broadhead Road, Edgworth, have told the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) they will be shutting their doors by the end of July next year.

Today some of its 100 employees have been issued with redundancy notices and most of its 32 pupils, aged between 10 and 16, are being found alternative placements by the local education authority.

Plans to close the school, which dates back to the 19th century and was attended by actress Shirley-Ann Field, were first announced in March, amid fears that the children would not be able to integrate into the community after their schooling -- due to the building's remote location.

Pupils are normally referred by local education authorities to the school, run by the National Children's Home (NCH), if they have a range of moderate learning difficulties or challenging behaviour.

School officials felt the children were too far away from local services which made it difficult for staff to provide a fully inclusive service in accordance with new government policies, which state that children should be able to join in with their local community.

Discussions between school officials, staff, parents, and children, did take place before the decision was made and the closure is now expected to be a gradual one.

Today they said: "We are currently working towards all the pupils being sorted out with alternative accommodation at other special schools.

"The closure comes with a tinge of sadness. Crowthorn has been there a long, long time and offered different things to different groups of children from being a children's home catering for well over 100 children until it became the sort of school it is now.

"The school has offered lots of things to lots of children and parents have told us they have valued what has been on offer here."

Local councillor Jean Rigby was saddened by the news and said: "It's been the heart of the village for so long. On top of that it's quite a large employer and its facilities used by little groups in the village.

"It's sad when you think that Shirley-Ann Field used to go there and the farmers' kids who went there about 60 years ago."