Parents are pleading for a primary school in Stroud to stay open as it faces the threat of closure due to low pupil numbers.

St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School, in Inchbrook, said it may stop receiving Government money from September 2020 as the amount of pupils studying at the school dropped from 98 to 54 in two years.

A representative of the school said a meeting scheduled between parents and governors this Thursday is an “information evening”, and any final decision is “a long way off”.

The school, which has been in existence for 135 years, was rated as ‘inadequate’ by education watchdog Ofsted in July.

Parents of pupils who learn at the primary school have said their children have been crying and are “praying for a miracle”.

Anamaria Ionescu moved to Britain from Romania in 2018 with her two daughters, who have both just started their second year at the school.

She said: “When you come from a different culture and change everything is not easy, especially for kids. They were so afraid that being from another country nobody will want to play with them, nobody will understand them and they will have no friends.

“But we had a very good surprise. Very soon my girls started to learn English and being a small school they did not feel lost but in the middle of a wonderful family . That helped them to say that they do not want to came back in Romania.

“We where helped not only in schools staff but in every day things by the staff and parents.

Ms Ionescu continued: “If they close the school we will lose our balance, our family, our first love. It will be very difficult to start over with everything.

“And for my eldest girl will be worse because she is in year 5 and next year we need to move again in secondary school.”

Another parent whose children goes to the school, Becky Shephard, said other local schools are “too full”.

She said: “My daughter is in year 3 here, there is literally nowhere else for her to go in the area as everywhere is full, so I have no idea what will happen if it did close.

“She’s so happy here and has thrived since joining, made so many friends and honestly don’t want having to change school again to affect her or her learning.

“Plus as a mum who can not drive and also has a daughter in another school and a 2 year old in pre school it’s hard to do school runs as it is.

“I’ve looked into other schools in the area and they are all full so no idea what will happen, I’m just hoping for the best. The staff are amazing here also, be a shame to see the school closed.”

Dr Russell Davies, a member of the school’s parent teacher association, said other local schools are already fully subscribed with waiting lists, and due to their village locations, they have limited or no potential to expand their buildings to increase in size.

There are three primary schools within a mile of St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School: Nailsworth C of E Primary School, Amberley Parochial School and Woodchester Endowed C of E Primary School

According to the latest reception day statisics which shows the most in-demand primary schools in Gloucestershire, two people didn’t get their first place preference for Nailsworth primary school which received 47 total applications.

Woodchester primary could only take in 20 pupils but had a waiting list of 33 pupils, while Amberley primary had 54 applications but could only fit 15.

In a letter sent to parents, the chair of governors Ufuoma Bakpa said: “Unfortunately, due to the small number of pupils on roll and challenges with low number of pupils in the area, the parties have been unable to find a model that could in the long term, guarantee the sustainability and financial viability of the school.

“The regional school’s commissioner has been advised of this position in writing and they are now considering how to process.

“As things stand, the school has the funding and capacity to remain open for this financial year ending August 2020.

“However the governors cannot guarantee the availability of funding to keep the school open in subsequent financial years from September 2020 onwards due to the low pupil numbers.”

Any final decision on the termination of funding will be made by the Education Secretary, on recommendation from the regional school’s commissioner.

Should funding end, it would mean the school would run as normal until the end of the summer term, closing on August 31, 2020.

Mr Bakpa said in the letter discussions are “currently ongoing” with the regional school’s commissioner on the bet course of action.

The school was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted inspectors in July and dropped two gradings in six years.

Inspectors found there had been “uncertainty” and “turbulence” since the last inspection of the school, and senior leaders’ actions “have not improved the areas of the school identified as weaknesses at the previous inspection quickly enough”.

According to the report published in July, there had been a number of changes to the staffing of the school, and an interim headteacher led the school for a time in 2018.

However at the time of the report the school was led by an interim executive headteacher and an interim head of school.

The report said the headteacher is “currently absent from school and was not present during the inspection”.

Dr Davies however said the Ofsted report found “that the interim leaders’ actions are improving teaching and learning quickly and the new governors have a clear vision for the school”.

He continued: “What we really require is a plan that will take the school up to the next potential Ofsted inspection, when the current plans for the school have been fully implemented.”

“At that stage, we would expect an improved rating that can then take the school from strength to strength.”

Parents, staff and governors will meet on Thursday from 6pm to 7pm to discuss the future of the school.