Edward Leigh MP, who represents the market town of Caistor, which is part of the Gainsborough Constituency, has made the a statement regarding the future of schooling in the area:

"My support for what the government is hoping to achieve with its school reforms is a matter of public record. It is vital that school standards are forced up so that every child can benefit from the best possible start in life.

"However I fail to see how putting the school with the best results in Lincolnshire at risk of closure can possibly improve standards across the county. What’s more, closing both Caistor Yarborough Academy and Caistor Grammar School, and leaving the town with no schools, cannot be in the best interests of Caistor’s residents.

"Pupils travel from miles around to go to school in Caistor, and the distances travelled for the grammar school is especially great. In sparsely populated rural areas there is a limit to how big schools, and particularly selective schools, can be.

"I am today writing to Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, seeking urgent clarification on this matter. I hope that we will be able to save both schools from the threat of closure. I would be amazed by the way if a school which has been excelling for almost four centuries were closed. Government reforms are aimed at under-performing schools."