Concerns have been raised after the number of children suspended in Harrogate and Knaresborough schools rose by more than 40% in the last year.

Figures recently published by North Yorkshire Council revealed there were 459 suspensions in 2022/23 — a rise from 314 in the previous year.

The most common reason for suspensions was “persistent disruptive behaviour”, according to a report.

The chief inspector of Ofsted has said that behaviour in schools has deteriorated since the covid pandemic, with some pupils refusing to comply with rules, talking back to teachers and walking out of class mid-lesson.

The topic was raised at a meeting of local councillors in Harrogate on Thursday.

Cllr Paul Haslam, an independent representing Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he was “concerned” at the level of suspensions in the area.

He said:

“What we’ve got is a symptom and not a cause. I’m keen to understand the causes of suspensions. I do not underestimate the commitment of teachers.

“As a past school governor and trustee, I know how hard they work but how can we best support them? Can we catch [poor behaviour] at primary school so it doesn’t happen in secondary school?”

Last week, youth education charity Impetus published research that found children suspended from school see their exam results suffer.

It suggested some children were found to be lagging a year behind their peers with some unable to achieve a standard pass in GCSE maths and English.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, responded to Cllr Haslam and said the rise in suspensions reflected a national trend.

She also said the figures were “linked disproportionately” to children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Ms Newbold said:

“What we’ve seen is an increase in suspensions and exclusions across the county. Those numbers have risen over the last few years. We can link it back to wider issues in families rather than school-specific issues.

“We’ve focused on all things inclusion this academic year and are offering support around suspension and exclusions. We’ve had headteacher workshops to make sure we can do as much preventative work as possible but it will take time to see outcomes.”

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The introduction of a banking hub was among plans unveiled by Ripon Business Improvement District at its annual review meeting this week.

Sine the BID launched in autumn 2021, banking facilities in the city have reduced with the closure of the Barclays and Halifax branches, leaving HSBC as the only high street bank with a presence in Ripon.

A banking hub would provide a counter service where customers of major banks and building societies can carry out cash transactions. One is set to open in Knaresborough after it lost its last high street bank.

BID manager Lilla Bathurst told Monday’s meeting at the Old Deanery:

“We are seeking to bring a banking hub to Ripon to enable businesses to access and deposit cash more readily than they can at the moment.”

The HSBC Bank on Westgate.

The BID, funded through a £170,000 annual levy raised from businesses in Ripon and the surrounding area, is also looking to support the fight against crime.

Ms Bathurst said:

“We plan to invest in a Radiolink scheme for businesses to reduce shop theft and antisocial behaviour, by having a means of sharing information with each other about suspicious characters or perceived threats that they see.

“We will also ensure that all night-time economy businesses are offered this.”

The review meeting marked the BID’s second year of operation.

Ms Bathurst said the highlights included a reinvigorated events calendar featuring live music, street parties run as part of the Totally Locally campaign instigated by independent traders in Kirkgate and support for the Ripon Theatre Festival in June, which saw an 86 percent increase in audience numbers.

The BID supported the festival in its inaugural year of 2022 and this year and will again be a sponsor in 2024.

Other BID activities in the year included the installation of new boundary signs and the creation of walking maps that encourage visitor flow around the city and work in conjunction with refurbished noticeboards that contain mapping, tourist and regularly updated events information.

Councillors have reiterated the call for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe to fulfil her promise to establish a police presence in Ripon Town Hall.

Members at last night’s full Ripon City Council meeting said the need for visible and accessible policing in the city centre had increased because of recurring issues of antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

The problems range from vandal attacks on cars parked in the the city centre to stones being thrown through house windows — one of which injured the occupants.

Councillor Pauline McHardy said:

“Youths are making people’s lives a misery and blighting this city and residents need somewhere convenient to go to to report these incidents when they occur.”

City Council leader Andrew Williams received unanimous support in his call to approach Ms Metcalfe, whose time in office will end in May when her office’s duties are transferred to the new York and North Yorkshire mayor’s office. He reminded fellow councillors:

“In February, the commissioner issued a press release to say that a £91,000 refurbishment of space in the town hall was already underway and would be completed by June, but this wasn’t correct.

“Since then, nothing has materialised and we need to write to the commissioner in the strongest terms calling on her to keep the promise that she made.”

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At the time of the February announcement, councillors were hopeful the move to create a public consultation room, an office and a room for officers would help tackle crime in the city, providing an additional site to Ripon’s main Police and Fire Station at Stonebridgegate.

In August, a spokesperson for the crime commissioner said following the decision to approve funding for the move into the town hall, the ground floor space originally offered by Harrogate Borough Council was changed by the new North Yorkshire Council, in conjunction with Ripon City Council.

Alternative space was then offered on the second floor which it said will need to be assessed for “public accessibility and operational use”.

The spokesperson said:

“Commissioner Zoë is committed to ensuring that the residents of Ripon are provided with consistent, visible policing, and it is understood that North Yorkshire Police are currently in the process of assessing a number of additional sites in the heart of the city to ensure the local policing team are accessible to the public.”

Ms Metcalfe added:

“When elected as police, fire and crime commissioner I made a commitment to the people of North Yorkshire that I would strive to ensure that they would always be safe and feel safe, with efficient use of public resources being one of my five key priorities.”

Police are to lead a crackdown on underage drinking in Ripon in the latest attempt to tackle the city’s long-running problem with crime and antisocial behaviour.

North Yorkshire Police said today Ripon has joined 240 locations in the country designated as a Community Alcohol Partnerships area.

These partnerships see police work with retailers, schools, neighbourhood groups, Trading Standards, local authorities and other emergency and health services to reduce alcohol problems.

As part of the initiative, retailers will be assessed by Trading Standards and police to check they are not selling alcohol to children.

Intervention work to prevent under-18s drinking will also be carried out.

According to North Yorkshire Police, the partnerships have led to a 61% reduction in weekly drinking by teenagers, a 50% drop in young people hanging round shops and asking adults to buy alcohol, and a 42% decline in anti-social behaviour involving drink.

Ripon Community Alcohol Partnership will officially launch on Wednesday next week.

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PCSO Helenor Gwatkin, who is leading the launch for North Yorkshire Police, said:

“We’re listening to residents’ concerns about antisocial behaviour in Ripon and we’re addressing them in several ways.

“Our targeted patrols are one part of the solution, but the community alcohol partnership allows us to focus on prevention and early intervention. This stops issues from arising, reduces offences and helps educate young people to make better choices.

“Community alcohol partnerships have been very well supported in other parts of North Yorkshire and I am confident the initiative in Ripon will be just as well received.”

Alcohol education

Police, youth services and other local organisations will provide alcohol-free activities for young people and work with schools to take a proactive approach to alcohol education.

Kate Winstanley, director of Community Alcohol Partnerships, said:

“I am delighted to see the launch of a CAP in Ripon. Underage drinking is associated with school and educational problems, unprotected sex, drug-taking, violence and drinking problems in later life.

“In just over a decade CAP has set up more than 240 partnerships around the UK and our evaluations show they are having a significant impact on reducing children’s alcohol consumption, improving their health and wellbeing and enhancing the communities where they live.”

A vandal attack has caused the closure of the Grove Lane children’s play area in Ripon.

A rubberised surface designed to soften falls for children playing on the swings has been damaged and the area will remain closed for weeks until it is repaired.

All Ripon city councillors were informed of the vandalism on Wednesday, after Jennifer Love, Harrogate Borough Council’s (HBC) technical officer for parks and playgrounds, contacted the city council.

In an email, she said:

“Unfortunately I have been forced to close and lock up Grove Lane Play area due to vandalism of the safety surfaces.

“I will arrange the repairs, but it could take a few weeks to resolve and the repair will cost over £2,000.”

Anybody who witnessed suspicious activity in the area of the playground is asked to contact the police on 101.

Ward councillor and the leader of Ripon City Council, Andrew Williams, said:

“It is very sad that mindless morons with nothing better to do have closed the play area intended for local children. I welcome that Harrogate Borough Council will repair and get the play area open again, but this is council tax that could have been better spent given the current economic climate.”

The Grove Lane play area where the rubberised surface has been damaged.

The attack on the play area is the latest incident in a spate of vandalism and other antisocial behaviour in Ripon.

In recent weeks, a number of city centre premises have had windows vandalised, graffiti containing an obscenity was daubed on a wall in close proximity to the cathedral and fly tippers dumped old furniture and rubbish on a secluded green area on Stonebridgegate.

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Earlier this year, Ripon police called for parents to be more vigilant to help tackle anti-social behaviour in the city,

Making a direct appeal for assistance, Sergeant Clare Mayes of North Yorkshire Police’s Ripon Neighbourhood Policing Team said:

“Parents, please take responsibility and find out where your children have been, what they’ve been up to and who they have been with – before you receive a knock on the door from a police officer.“