CHILDREN from one of County Durham’s closure-threatened primary schools have made their own video asking Durham County Council to keep their school open.

Youngsters from Forest-of-Teesdale School, in Upper Teesdale, joined forces with small–scale filmmaker, Simon Danby, to create the work which appeals to councillors to save their rural school from closure.

Mr Danby, of Alston, set up his camera at the Langdon Beck Hotel on Easter Sunday, and interviewed some of the children and their parents along with the hotel’s owner and the school’s community governor, Sue Matthews.

The piece was then edited by Mr Danby and the school’s chair of governor’s Judith Tarn on Saturday (April 16).

Mrs Tarn said: “I’m please with it; I think it’s a heartfelt and very genuine piece of work and nothing has been said in it that anybody did not feel."

Mr Danby added: “There’s a real feeling of belonging at the school and the support the communities have which adds up to more than the pound shilling and pence or the financial forces that are on local authorities to close this school."

It is not the first time the children have featured in a film, as they made an appearance in the award-winning documentary, Addicted to Sheep, last year.

The video features Addicted to Sheep star and tenant hill farmer, Kay Hutchinson whose three children have all attended the school along with some clips that were used in it.

The children in the video told Mr Danby that their favourite things about their school were their teachers, friends and lessons while ex pupils said Forest was “like a little family”.

They were also seen repeatedly chanting their campaign slogan, “Fight for forest, save our school”.

The rural community says it has been left in limbo by the council after it revealed it is still to decide whether a consultation to close the school, along with Rookhope Primary School, in Weardale, will go ahead.

The news followed an earlier announcement by the council which stated that a consultation to close the two schools would start after Easter due to falling pupil numbers.

Mrs Matthews is now in the process of sending the video to every councillor at the council.

“We are trying to get the message across to them about how different it is living here,” she said.

“We need to get them to understand it’s a unique school despite their small numbers and it needs to stay open for very good reasons.”

To sign the petition, visit democracy.durham.gov.uk