THE prospect of secondary schooling in Swanage has been rejected in a review of education in Purbeck.

Dorset County Council's cabinet agreed not to include an option for a split-site secondary school between Wareham and Swanage as the Purb-eck Review goes out for consultation.

The ruling was described as “disgraceful” by campaign group Education Swanage, who have long pushed for a twin campus site.

They said: “Experts have told us, and also told council officers, that loss of secondary provision typically drives young families from an area and undermines the local economy, yet Dorset County Council has taken no account of this.

“The council must think again and consider the vital role that a good local school plays in ensuring the social and economic wellbeing of an isolated town like Swanage.”

Members of the public will only be consulted on a single-site secondary school at Wareham.

The review was launched early last year to address more than 1,000 surplus school places in the district and will see the area move from a three-tier to two-tier education system.

After considering a report by council officers, the cabinet rejected calls from campaigners to include a provision for secondary education in Swanage as the review goes out for the next stage of consultation.

The report claimed the extra cost of providing a secondary school site in Swanage would be £14m.

Director for children’s services John Nash also told members: “The quality of education would be compromised if we were to split provision between Swanage and Wareham.”

Local county councillor for Swanage Bill Trite urged members to consider the “adverse economic impact on 10,000 people in Swanage of losing secondary education”.

Purbeck Hills councillor Mike Lovell added: “I believe that the people who are already disenfranchised in Swanage in several ways are going to be even worse off.”

Council leader Angus Campbell responded: “I do have sympathy with the social community issues but I certainly feel it is our job as an authority to provide the best education possible for the children of Dorset.”

Cllr Hilary Cox added: “A very strong case is made now to go forward with the single school in Wareham.”