Dramatic drop in numbers at Clarkefield Primary School

UPDATE: THE future of a school in Melbourne’s northwest is in doubt with just six students left and claims of bullying.

Clarkefield Primary School faces an uncertain future with enrolments down to six but parents such as Andrew Morley, pictured with his son Arian, are hoping to save it. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano

THE future of a school in Melbourne’s northwest is in doubt with just six students left and claims of bullying by parents.

Clarkefield Primary School typically has 30-40 students enrolled, but Leader understands there are currently just six students attending.

Its principal is on leave and the school is being administered by Riddells Creek Primary School principal Kim Ryan.

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Parents who have removed their children from the school said its culture had gone downhill.

Jessica Mason, whose three children now attend Goonawarra Primary School, said there were rumours the school had just weeks to boost enrolments or it would be closed.

“We live across a couple of paddocks from the school and ideally we’d have our kids here, but we have to know what the future plans are for the school,” she said.

But former school council member Scott Hardiman said parents no longer at the school had been the cause of the problems.

“There has been two or three parents causing the issues and there has been a history of bullying at the school — in 13 years there has been five or six principals,” he said.

Ms Mason said families were getting little information from the education department about the school’s future.

“Our kids attended the school until the end of last year and there were families pulling out their children, which left them devastated and eventually we decided we couldn’t keep sending them there either.

“We have been told the only people that can close a school are the school council, but we have also learnt there is no functioning council.”

Macedon Ranges state MP Mary-Anne Thomas confirmed there was no school council and said the education department would be consulting with community members on the future of the school.

Education department spokesman Simon Craig said that “school councils typically decide to close or de-staff schools due to unsustainably low student enrolments”.

“The department is working with Clarkefield Primary and the community to explore options for the school in 2016 and beyond,” he said.

Among those desperate to save the school is Neighbours actor and former student Andrew Morley.

Mr Morley said he was sad to hear about the scarce enrolments at his former stomping ground.

A star of Neighbours and formerly of Home and Away, he has more than 200,000 Instagram ­followers and many fond memories from the school.

“I have such good memories of my time here – you had this open block and you mixed with all the different age groups,” he said.

“The friends I went through this school with are still my best friends and they are all successful in business and in their careers.”

Mr Morley, who grew up on a farm in Clarkefield, said he would take piglets to school for show and tell.

“I learned some great leadership here and I’d like my kids to go to a small rural state school like this,” he said.

Mr Morley said he had previously approached the school to help drive ­campaigns to lift enrolments, but nothing had come of it.

“I will do all I can to save this school – it is a huge part of this community,” Mr Morley said.

“Next year we are due to dig up a time capsule we put in and all my mates are determined that we come here to make that happen.”

Clarkefield Primary has been concerned with enrolments in the past. In 2013 there were just 21 students, prompting a campaign to boost numbers.