County Hall experts say a falling birth rate means there could be fewer than 7,000 pupils entering mainstream schooling in the next three years, which could make it "challenging" for some smaller schools to keep running.

And while Norfolk County Council officials need to spend more than £380m to provide extra school places for children moving into thousands of new homes across the county, the picture could be bleaker for smaller, rural schools.

Yet it comes at a time when the authority needs to build 25 new schools and expand eight existing ones to cater for the children who will live in thousands of new homes planned for Norfolk.

Norfolk County Council says 25 new schools........

© Norwich Evening News