David Lister School to close early?

A troubled Hull school may close up to three years earlier than planned, the Mail can reveal.

David Lister School, in Rustenburg Street, east Hull, is currently earmarked to close in 2015 as part of the £400m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) proposals.

But a series of critical reports have led education officials to look at the possibility of closing the school in 2012.

The news comes just a day after it emerged Endeavour High School, in Beverley Road, Hull, has slipped into special measures.

David Lister, which is also in special measure, could be closed early because of lack of parental confidence and falling pupil numbers.

The school, which currently has about 1,250 pupils, was placed in special measures last year by Ofsted after a damning report highlighted a series of failings.

The governing body was then removed and replaced with an interim executive board (IEB).

Judith Harwood, head of learning, leisure and achievement at Hull City Council, said: "Parents and the community are saying 'what are you going to do about this school?'

"So, we have to look at that realistically.

"The numbers on roll are falling and people are asking if there is a better place for their child's education.

"The question for us is, if we keep doing what we are doing and managing the status quo, will that deliver sufficient improvement and the right outcomes for the children?

"We must remove weak schools and we must do that as quickly as possible."

If a decision is taken to close the school early, a formal six-week consultation process will have to take place.

This would almost certainly not take place until September, as it has to be in term time and schools are set to break up for summer in a month.

The council would also have to replace the current statutory closure notice for 2015, which says the last intake of pupils in year seven will be in 2010.

Most pupils would go to Archbishop Sentamu Academy, which by then will be at its new home in Preston Road, east Hull.

Other pupils would go to Malet Lambert and Winifred Holtby, as well as other schools across the city with spaces.

However, all the BSF building work would have to go ahead as planned for there to be sufficient spaces in the schools.