DOZENS of Oxfordshire schools have been designated as 'rural' to help protect them from the risk of closure.

The Department for Education has updated its list of council-run primary schools with rural designation, including 70 in the county.

It introduced the list in 2017, in recognition of the importance schools play in small communities and their vulnerability due to lower pupil numbers.

There is a presumption against the closure of schools designated as 'rural', and any council considering the closure of one will have to carry out consultation and prove that it is a last resort.

ALSO READ: Rural primary schools at risk of closure in Oxfordshire, councillors say

Writing on his blog last week, Oxfordshire county councillor John Howson said: "The designation is important, as with school rolls in the primary sector now falling, and the absurdities of the National Funding Formula view of equality not yet fully understood, the added protection from closure being a ‘rural’ school provides may still be useful in the future.

"However, it won’t stop closures happening."

He mentioned Culham Parochial Primary School near Abingdon, which is again listed as a rural school this year.

The designation was not enough to save it from closure, and this year it is due to officially shut its doors and merge with neighbouring Clifton Hampden CE Primary School, after falling pupil numbers led to financial unsustainability.

It is listed in the table as 'open and proposed to close', as are more than 20 other rural primary schools across the country.

ALSO READ: Culham school WILL close as pupil numbers plummet

Prof Howson wrote in his blog: "The county council has agreed that the school should close as it is no longer a viable education establishment in its own right.

"This follows a series of battles over its future, stretching back into at least the late 1980s."

The councillor said he hoped more schools would not follow suit as a result of a 'rigid financial system that takes little or no account of communities and their needs'.

He noted how 15 of the schools set for closure nationally are Church of England schools.

Some church schools in Oxfordshire have converted into academies under the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, many hoping it would provide more financial security due to the economies of scale.

In March, an Ofsted report for the academy trust said: "The board exercises effective oversight of finance, steering the trust skilfully through a challenging economic climate.

"This is particularly important given the relatively large number of small village schools in the trust."

READ AGAIN: Academy trust is helping rural schools to survive

While most of the rural schools designated in Oxfordshire are in villages, some are in towns.

These include St Mary's CE (Aided) Primary School in Chipping Norton, and Woodstock CE Primary School, both in West Oxfordshire.

Government guidance on rural schools states: "[Designation] doesn’t mean that a rural school will never close, but that the case for closure should be strong and clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area."

The latest list of designated schools came into effect on Friday.

The full list of 'rural' council-run schools in Oxfordshire:

Enstone Primary School

Great Tew County Primary School

Kingham Primary School

Five Acres Primary School

Whitchurch Primary School

Stonesfield School

William Fletcher Primary School

RAF Benson Community Primary School

Tetsworth Primary School

Mill Lane Community Primary School

Nettlebed Community School

Sonning Common Primary School

South Stoke Primary School

Woodcote Primary School

Chilton County Primary School

Drayton Community Primary School

Harwell Primary School

Cropredy Church of England Primary School

Chadlington Church of England Primary School

Hook Norton Church of England Primary School - 20

Bloxham Church of England Primary School

Fritwell Church of England Primary School

Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School

Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Fringford Church of England Primary School

Finmere Church of England Primary School

Clanfield CofE Primary School

Aston and Cote Church of England Primary School

Hailey Church of England Primary School

St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School

Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary School

Combe CofE Primary School

Woodstock Church of England Primary School

Bladon Church of England Primary School

Aston Rowant Church of England Primary School

St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

Clifton Hampden Church of England Primary School

Lewknor Church of England Primary School

Dorchester St Birinus Church of England School

Great Milton Church of England Primary School

Marsh Baldon Church of England Controlled School

Culham Parochial Church of England Primary School

Peppard Church of England Primary School

Stoke Row CofE Primary School

The Ridgeway Church of England (C) Primary School

Long Wittenham (Church of England) Primary School

Longworth Primary School

Marcham Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

Radley Church of England Primary School

Stanford in the Vale Church of England Primary School - 50

St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Steventon

Sunningwell Church of England Primary School

Uffington Church of England Primary School

Wychwood Church of England Primary School

St Blaise CofE Primary School

Great Rollright Church of England (Aided) Primary School

Christopher Rawlins Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Kirtlington Church of England Primary School

Ewelme CofE Primary School

Little Milton Church of England Primary School

St Laurence Church of England (A) School

Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School

Goring Church of England Aided Primary School

Shiplake Church of England School

Appleton Church of England (A) Primary School

Ashbury with Compton Beauchamp Church of England (A) Primary School

Shellingford Church of England (Voluntary Aided) School

St Amand's Catholic Primary School

St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton

Shenington Church of England Primary School