Heartbroken parents say it would be a "big mistake" to shut a much-loved Richmond primary school months after it was praised by Ofsted for nurturing pupils.

Richmond Council is proposing to close Kew Riverside Primary School next summer due to a sustained drop in pupil numbers.

Parents have submitted multiple alternative proposals they say are financially viable to keep the school open, which is not currently in deficit, and are urging the council to give them enough time to pursue these.

Families told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the school supported pupils so well, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), that many had moved to Kew to send their children there and some were considering moving out of Richmond if it shut.

They described it as an extension of home with a tight-knit community.

The council told the LDRS it was proposing to close the 210-capacity school as pupil numbers had dropped to 87 due to families moving out of the area, and were predicted to fall further over the next five years.

It said that while the school was not currently in deficit, it faced a budget shortfall of more than £400,000 by 2028/29 despite reducing staffing and other costs.

The authority said it would consider alternative proposals submitted during its initial consultation on the proposed closure, which ended on 16 October.

It will confirm whether it plans to proceed with closure in November.

Priscila Smith, who has a son in year three, told the LDRS parents wanted to "preserve the community – we want a school, we don't want a building".

She said: "We have schools in the area that they want to push us to that have academic results that are lower than ours. They want us to lose a community that's working, a school that works."

Priscila claimed the council had not given the school a fair chance to rebuild pupil numbers before putting forward the proposals, as they came with no prior notice.

She said: "We are conscious about the financial pressures… give us the opportunity to work collaboratively and we can change the situation. Give us time."

Her partner Adam added: "We're not even in deficit. There was no forewarning, which I think probably is the thing that shocked us most – you get a great Ofsted report, two days later, oh the school may be closing."

In a report published in September, following an inspection in July, Ofsted praised Kew Riverside staff for making sure pupils' wellbeing and other needs were well met, while describing students as typically achieving well and the school's curriculum as ambitious.

Inspectors found children with SEND and those known to social care were supported well, with disadvantaged students benefitting from thoughtful use of extra funding, and pupils' characters were nurtured well.

Parents said the school was irreplaceable and there were no suitable alternatives which could support pupils as well, while raising concerns about the disruption closure would bring to their children's lives.

Stephanie Oakes raised concerns for pupils preparing for secondary school like her son, who is in year five.

She said he had made huge progress with his confidence and education since joining the school, after missing nursery during the Covid-19 pandemic, and now faced major disruption.

Stephanie said: "It's hard enough to go to high school as it is, but you want to rip them from their last year with their friends and their teachers and their peers that they've grown up with. I say it's not a school, it's a community – it's a family."

She added: "Even the teachers, they've built up such relationships with all of us, it's going to break their hearts as well as it's going to break ours and I think it's soul-destroying."

Ofsted found pupils at the school received targeted supported to close gaps in their spelling, handwriting, reading and maths.

Richard Newman said he felt the council was putting the future of his son, who is in year one, "in jeopardy". He told the LDRS he was "really heartbroken" by the proposals, which would be a "disaster" for the community.

"They're ripping the heart out of our community, it really feels like this," Richard said.

Marie, who has children in years four and six, said the council would be making a "big mistake" if it shut the school.

She said: "I think it will hurt the neighbourhood if this school closes, Kew Riverside, people will move."

Zanepa also said her son, who is in year one, had made great progress since joining the "exceptional" school.

She said she travelled from Brentford to send her son there, and her family was considering leaving the UK if it shut.

Zanepa said: "It's very upsetting news because my child loves the school, the community of the school, his friends. He loves his teachers, he loves how they push him forward with education."

Caroline Gagliardi, chair of the school's parent teacher association (PTA), was among parents who moved to Kew for the school.

Caroline, who has children in years one and six, said: "I love this school a lot. My children love this school. They know everybody. They are super happy.

"My daughter comes jumping every morning to the school because she's really happy to come meet the teachers."

Ofsted also found the school was "highly inclusive" and staff strived to meet pupils' needs, including those with SEND.

Esra Soydan said her family moved to Kew to send their daughter, who has sensory processing difficulties, to the school.

Esra said: "It's just covered all we expected to see and it's a very calm and peaceful environment, and they are very inclusive."

She added: "This is one of a kind, so why close it?"

Parents are urging the council to withdraw the proposed closure and work with them to keep the school open.

A petition on the council's website calling for the school to remain open adds that "closing it would take away something Kew cannot easily rebuild, a place where every child feels safe, settled and supported".

A Richmond Council spokesperson told the LDRS that while the school was not currently in deficit, the projected shortfall of more than £400,000 by 2028/29 meant its "future financial sustainability must be addressed now" and planning for this rested with its leadership.

The spokesperson said: "We know the proposed closure of Kew Riverside Primary School is upsetting for families who value its close-knit community.

"We take parents' concerns about friendships, continuity of education and support seriously, particularly for children with SEND. All views, evidence and alternative proposals submitted through the consultation will be carefully considered."

They added: "Parents have submitted several proposals to keep the school open, which will be considered through the consultation.

"The council is waiting for the school's governing body to confirm it endorses these proposals as it would be responsible for delivering any school-led plan.

"Should the proposed closure move forward, pupils will be guaranteed a place at Darell Primary School if their parents wish to take it."

If the council decides to move ahead with the proposed closure in November, it will make a final decision in April.