Another Harrogate district primary school faces closure

Another primary school in the Harrogate district with dwindling attendance could close.

Governors at Fountains Earth CE Primary School, in Lofthouse said today they have made the decision with a “heavy heart” to begin the process of applying to North Yorkshire County Council for a consultation for closure.

The news comes the day after a consultation closed on the proposed closure of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton.

Last year Kell Bank Church of England Primary School in Masham said goodbye after 200 years.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School is due to close next month.

A final decision on Fountains Earth is due next spring.

The school has 11 pupils on its register, with the same figure due to attend in September 2023.

It belongs to the Federation of Fountains Earth and St Cuthbert’s CE Primary Schools.

The closure proposal does not apply to St Cuthbert’s, which is in Pateley Bridge.

11 pupils on register

A press release by North Yorkshire County Council today said the lack of pupils meant sustaining a varied, thorough curriculum was impossible, due to the lack of age-appropriate peers and the wide age range across the class.

Abi Broadley, chair of governors, said:

“Despite the best efforts of our headteacher, staff and governors, we cannot overcome the challenges of having such low pupil numbers.

“Our pupil numbers have been declining over the last few years and we now have just 11 children. We understand there is no sign of the school population growing significantly in the future.

“With such low pupil numbers and no hope of them dramatically increasing them soon, we will continue to have limited children in each year group. Indeed, some year groups are void of children altogether.”

Ms Broadley added the governors had “exhausted all options”, adding:

“A lot of work has been undertaken by our headteacher and team which has improved the situation, but it just isn’t enough due to a lack of pupils.

“These interventions include introducing a more structured curriculum, structured sessions and interventions from subject lead teachers from across the federation, all in an effort to try to meet educational needs; and Federation Fridays to help to address the social and emotional needs of the children.

“Although Federation Fridays are successful in enriching the lives of our children, they can only cover certain subjects such as personal, social, health and economic PSHE education, music and PE.

“This cannot be a long-term solution and further highlights the fact that our Fountains Earth provision alone does not adequately meet our children’s needs.”

The county council will consider the request for consultation. Its executive member for education and skills, Annabel Wilkinson, the Conservative councillor for Morton-on-Swale and Appleton Wiske division, will decide whether to approve the proposal.

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If the consultation to close the school is agreed, it is likely to start early in the new academic year. It will consist of a six-week period of consultation through the autumn term, which will include a public meeting.

A final decision on closure would be made once the consultation responses had been reviewed. That decision is likely to be made in the spring of next year.

Fountains Earth CE Primary School will remain open throughout the process.

Baldersby school commemorative event to be held ahead of closure

An event is set to be held to commemorate Baldersby primary school, north of Ripon, after the government confirmed it will close.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School will close in August 2022.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the Church of England trust that runs the school, announced the closure, saying low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”.

Parents and staff had objected to the decision, but Nadhim Zahawi, secretary of state for education, confirmed in January that the school will close.

Now, a celebratory event for staff and pupils will be held at the school on July 2, 2022, and will be attended by the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby.

The school says it is keen to hear from past pupils or staff who have stories, anecdotes or photos to share or anyone who has a keen knowledge of the history of the school.

Steff Brown, headteacher at Baldersby St James CE Primary School said 

“Whilst we are sad that the school has to close, we are very keen to celebrate the history of the school and all of the wonderful teaching, learning, events and activities that have taken place over the years.

“We’re delighted that we will be joined by the Bishop of Whitby who will lead the church service.”

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The trust has said the reason for its decision was that the school currently had 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student.

The school, which is a grade II listed building, has a maximum capacity of 60 students.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the county council’s education executive member, said previously that the authority was powerless to stop the closure as the decision would ultimately be made by the Schools Commissioner and Mr Zahawi.

He said there were sufficient school places in the area for Baldersby St James pupils to go elsewhere should the school close.

The catchment area for Baldersby St James is expected to be extended to Dishforth Church of England Primary School.

Baldersby St James school was built by Lord Downe following the establishment of the village in 1850. The school has served generations of pupils in Baldersby St James, Rainton and the surrounding areas.

In depth: Bleak future for Harrogate district rural schools?

Since the turn of the year, it has been announced that two primary schools in the Harrogate district will close.

Both schools — Kell Bank near Masham and Baldersby St James between Ripon and Thirsk — are in rural areas.

Kell Bank closed in summer and if Baldersby’s closure goes ahead as planned, it will be the first academy in North Yorkshire to shut.

Both decisions were attributed to low pupil numbers. But a closer look at the issue reveals a deeper problem in rural communities in our district.

Drop in pupil numbers

North Yorkshire is home to 356 state schools — of which 303 are primary, 43 are secondary and 10 are special schools.

Although most schools in the Harrogate district are in towns and cities, such as Ripon, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, some are in more remote parts.

Declining pupil numbers in these rural areas has led to questions about the ongoing viability of schools.

Kell Bank, which was run by North Yorkshire County Council, closed in August.

Pupil numbers at Kell Bank Primary School before its closure. Data: NYCC.

Pupil numbers at Kell Bank Primary School before its closure. Data: NYCC.

The school, which was celebrating 200 years of education at the time, had capacity to teach 50 pupils but just six on the register. Three year groups had no children in them.

The number of pupils had declined from 39 in 2014.

By comparison, nearby Masham Church of England School in Masham town centre had 121 pupils, some of which were out of its catchment area.

It’s a similar picture at Baldersby, which has only 22 pupils.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the academy trust in charge, says numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead” and the school should therefore close.

The figures for Baldersby St James since 2015. The 2021 number has since dropped to 22. Data: NYCC.

The figures for Baldersby St James since 2015. The 2021 number has since dropped to 22. Data: NYCC.

Pupil numbers at Baldersby have fluctuated and recovered to 46 in 2017 before declining again.

In both cases, the schools have been victims of changes to population demographics that have seen rural areas become less busy while more people live in towns and cities.

This raises difficult issues for families in rural areas thinking about where to educate their children.

‘A highly charged political issue’

A report by North Yorkshire County Council’s Rural Commission this year laid bare the problems facing rural schools.

According to the paper, eight schools have closed in the county over the past three years – most of which were in rural areas.

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The commission said the “continuing fall” in the rural population was the “fundamental challenge” facing small rural schools.

It said:

“While the number of elderly people living in the county continues to increase, the number of working-age families, with young children, continues to fall.

“This results in a significant surplus capacity in many of the small rural schools because there are simply not enough families with primary aged children living in rural communities.

“The cost of the rural housing market discourages young families from living in rural areas.”

The challenge in attracting younger families is compounded by the fact that parents are also thinking more carefully about where to send their children to school.

Department for Education guidance says a primary school aged child should be sent to a school no longer than 45 minutes away from home.

The rural commission report said parents were choosing not to send their children to a local school and instead opting for one further away “because it offers a better-quality education”.

It said:

“An expert on the subject noted that sometimes journey times are longer because children are going to schools other than their local one because of parental preference.”

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The sentiment was echoed by Jacqui Palmer, executive headteacher at Sharow Church of England Primary School.

She said:

“Over many years rural life has become different.

“In our village, there is no pub and the post office is only open on a morning.”

Ms Palmer added that it had become difficult for villages to attract younger families.

Impact on communities

The closure of rural schools runs deep in communities.

As noted by the rural commission, the decision to shut a village schools often prompts campaigns to save them.

This occurred in the Harrogate district when within days of the academy trust’s announcement, a group of parents and villagers set up the Save Baldersby St James Primary School campaign.

The group has set up a social media account to help the fight and called on Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to reconsider the decision.

For the group, the closure would see an end to a school which has served the community since 1850.

Sally Muir, a spokesperson for Save Baldersby St James Primary School, said in a statement: 

“In an era where running costs are elevated above all other criteria, it is a shame that a school with both history and potential that has long served the community is now earmarked for closure.”

In response to the difficulties facing schools, the rural commission has called for the Department for Education to revise its national funding formula to support rural schools, in particular spare secondary schools.

It also believes that the formula needs to take into account “the quality of rural roads as well as distance”.

The commission has also backed a “rural stipend” for teachers salaries in order to encourage more teachers into rural schools, but also to bring more younger families into those areas.

But time will tell whether there is the will to act, or whether more cherished schools in remote parts of England’s largest county face uncertain futures.

Call for government to reconsider Harrogate district school closure

Senior North Yorkshire county councillors have urged Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to reconsider a decision to close a Harrogate district primary school.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive has agreed to appeal to Mr Zahawi to give Baldersby St James Primary School, between Ripon and Thirsk, a 12-month stay of execution just three years after it became an academy and five years after the authority spent £400,000 of taxpayers’ money creating new classrooms.

A meeting of the council’s executive heard the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust had successfully applied to close the school next August. Councillors were told if the closure goes ahead the school would become the first academy in the county to close.

A spokesman for the trust said low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”, with predictions for demand for school places showing a steady decline until 2031/32.

The trust has said the reason for its decision was that the school currently had 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student

Helen Winn, chief executive of the trust, has said potential options, including speaking to other local multi-academy trusts, had been examined, but none were practically viable.

She said: 

“Due to the low intake at Baldersby St James, it has proved impossible to deliver the broad, balanced curriculum the children deserve.”

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The announcement comes just months after the North Yorkshire Rural Commission called for action to halt rural school closures, highlighting that children who attend small rural schools achieve better educational outcomes than urban children.

The meeting was told only nine children from the school’s catchment area were attending Baldersby St James, and numerous parents had taken their children elsewhere for many years, so the prospect of closure was “a consequence of parental choice”.

Parents campaign to save school

However, some parents and residents are battling the move, saying the school is a crucial community asset and that the decision was made behind closed doors before the school’s viability could be publicly examined.

Senior councillors said they felt it would be “very premature” to close the school given the exhaustive lengths the authority had recently gone to in an attempt to keep village schools open.

They highlighted how the school’s financial situation remained unclear as it was an academy, and said a lot of consultation should be undertaken before the doors of the grade II listed Victorian building close for a final time.

They agreed the closure should be delayed for 12 months to enable a credible business plan to be established.

The authority’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said it seemed “perverse” that the council was being asked to endorse the closure of a school that it would not have considered for closure as it was already maintaining village schools with fewer pupils.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the council’s education executive member, said the council was powerless to stop the closure as the decision would ultimately be made by the Schools Commissioner and Mr Zahawi.

He said there were sufficient school places in the area for Baldersby St James pupils to go elsewhere should the school close.

Parents and staff object to closure of Harrogate district school

Parents, staff and governors have objected to a planned closure of a Harrogate district school.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School has announced it will close in August 2022.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the Church of England trust that runs the school, announced the closure, saying low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”.

However, parents, staff and members of the community have set up a campaign group called Save Baldersby St James Primary School, to fight the move.

Campaigners argue that the decision was “carried out in secret, without open discussion” and that the school was not “given an adequate chance to build numbers”.

Sally Muir, a spokesperson for Save Baldersby St James Primary School, said: 

“The Hope Sentamu Learning Trust clearly fails to see the benefits of a small rural school.

“In an era where running costs are elevated above all other criteria, it is a shame that a school with both history and potential that has long served the community is now earmarked for closure.

“In their letter to parents and carers the trust claimed that they ‘have comprehensively researched and considered all potential options available to support the continued operation of the school. As there is good quality church and non-church education in the local area with capacity this provides us with limited options’.

“As parents we are yet to be provided with any data by the trust and this also suggests that the so-called Christian trust is prioritising short-term costs over long-term rural community effects.”

Meanwhile, Stuart Carver, a school governor, said the trust had “limited interest in a small rural school and has no inclination to help it thrive or continue”.

The trust has said the reason for its decision was that the school currently had 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student.

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The school, which is a grade II listed building, has a maximum capacity of 60 students.

Helen Winn, chief executive of the academy trust, said in a statement:

“This has not been an easy decision, but after a great deal of consideration, we came to the conclusion that this is the best resolution for the children concerned and their education.

“As part of the process, we have carefully looked at potential options, including speaking to other local multi-academy trusts, looking at the possibility of sharing the delivery of the curriculum with schools within and outside Hope Sentamu, and changing the nature of provision at the school but ultimately none of the options were practically viable.”

She added that the low numbers has “proved impossible to deliver the broad, balanced curriculum that the children deserve”.

Carlton Miniott Primary Academy, Dishforth Church of England Primary School and Topcliffe Church of England Academy would take up the catchment areas left by the school closure.

Meanwhile, senior councillors at North Yorkshire County Council look set to offer no objection to the decision at a meeting on Tuesday.

The county council, which is the local education authority, has been consulted on the closure.

Baldersby St James school was built by Lord Downe following the establishment of the village in 1850. The school has served generations of pupils in Baldersby St James, Rainton and the surrounding areas.

Harrogate district school to close due to low pupil numbers

A Harrogate district primary school is set to close after too few children are attending the school.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School has announced it will close in August 2022.

It will be the second school in the district this year to announce its closure for similar reasons. Kell Bank Primary School, Masham, shut in August 2021 after it had only six children.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, which runs Baldersby school, announced it decision after it said low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”.

The trust said the school currently has 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student.

Baldersby St James has a maximum capacity of 60 children.

Helen Winn, chief executive of the academy trust, said:

“This has not been an easy decision, but after a great deal of consideration, we came to the conclusion that this is the best resolution for the children concerned and their education.

“As part of the process, we have carefully looked at potential options, including speaking to other local multi-academy trusts, looking at the possibility of sharing the delivery of the curriculum with schools within and outside Hope Sentamu, and changing the nature of provision at the school but ultimately none of the options were practically viable.”

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She added that the low numbers has “proved impossible to deliver the broad, balanced curriculum that the children deserve”.

Meanwhile, senior councillors at North Yorkshire County Council look set to offer no objection to the decision.

The county council, which is the local education authority, has been consulted on the closure.

In a report due before the council’s executive next week, authority officials will propose new catchment areas to be consulted on.

Carlton Miniott Primary Academy, Dishforth Church of England Primary School and Topcliffe Church of England Academy would take up the catchment areas left by the school closure.

The academy trust is now holding a “listening period” with the county council, pupils, parents and staff to give their views on the process until October 22.