Latest news with #DalesAcademiesTrust
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Village school to close despite parent protest
A village school in North Yorkshire will close at the end of the summer term despite objections from the local community after a final decision by the education secretary. Dales Academies Trust said the outcome was based on falling pupil numbers and concerns about Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School's financial viability. A petition against the plans, signed by more than 650 people, claimed the closure would be "drastic" and "life-altering" for children. The Department for Education said closure decisions were not taken lightly, but parents would receive support. Tim Barker, whose five-year-old daughter attends the school, near Northallerton, said though the confirmation of the closure was expected, he felt an "extreme amount of disappointment" and "a little bit of anger". "My daughter's grandfather, who's still alive at 82, remembers walking to school, gathering up other children along the way, walking across farmers' fields," he said. Mr Barker chose the school for his daughter because of family connections after her mother died two years ago. "My choices since losing my wife have been 100% about my daughter's future. "One of those was about creating deeper roots within our local community, which starts at the earliest point - going to school," he said. "These are the friendships which last the test of time." Damian Chubb, chief executive of the Dales Academies Trust, said he was "acutely aware that this decision will be met with considerable sadness" by parents, pupils and staff. The trust "shares deeply in this sentiment", he added. "No trust wishes to close a school, and the decision has not been taken lightly by any means," he said. The trust said the school would continue to provide education to pupils up until the last day of term and would support parents to find an alternative school, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Parents had written to the education secretary, asking her to intervene. However, she backed the closure in February, with North Yorkshire Council saying it had "no alternative" but to agree to the move as the authority has no control over the decision of an academy trust. The school's roll has fallen to 18 pupils, which the Department for Education said "made it challenging for the trust to continue to provide an environment that offers both high quality education and broader social development for pupils". A spokesperson added: "We understand the closure of the school is a matter of concern for the community. "The academy trust and North Yorkshire Local Authority will continue to offer full support and guidance to parents seeking alternative schools." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Village primary school with 18 pupils to close Parents urge education secretary to save school School closure councillor accused of 'hypocrisy'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Councillor dismay over 'undemocratic' school move
A move to close a North Yorkshire school has been "undemocratic", showing "scant regard" for the community's views, a councillor has told a government minister. In January, the Dales Academies Trust announced it planned to close Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School, near Northallerton, at the end of the summer term due to low pupil numbers. Campaigners pledged to continue to fight to keep the school open, with Annabel Wilkinson, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for education, writing to education secretary Bridget Phillipson to share her dissatisfaction about the process. The Department for Education has been approached for comment by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Wilkinson said parents were informed on 16 January that the trust was proposing to close the school and that the government had given their in-principal approval. The council said it was advised that a substantive decision to close the school was then made less than a fortnight later. "Not only am I staggered at how undemocratic this process is, how little regard is paid to listening to any views of stakeholders and the community, but your own guidance is very misleading regarding the role of the local authority in the process and decision," Wilkinson wrote. When the council makes a decision to close a school it is always reached after a "lengthy and very thorough public consultation process", she said. "Your process has no consultation and pays scant regard to anything the community wants to say regarding the closure - this just isn't right," the councillor concluded. The decision to shut the rural school, which has 18 pupils, prompted a campaign from parents, past pupils, and the wider community. More than 600 people have signed a petition calling for the school to stay open. Save Our School campaigner Tim Barker said: "The whole process stinks. "There's been a lack of oversight, a lack of authentic community engagement and a lack of humanity." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Parents urge education secretary to save school Families call for village school to be saved Village primary school with 18 pupils to close Department for Education North Yorkshire Council
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Councillor calls move to close Kirkby Fleetham school 'undemocratic'
A move to close a North Yorkshire school has been "undemocratic", showing "scant regard" for the community's views, a councillor has told a government minister. In January, the Dales Academies Trust announced it planned to close Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School, near Northallerton, at the end of the summer term due to low pupil pledged to continue to fight to keep the school open, with Annabel Wilkinson, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for education, writing to education secretary Bridget Phillipson to share her dissatisfaction about the Department for Education has been approached for comment by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Wilkinson said parents were informed on 16 January that the trust was proposing to close the school and that the government had given their in-principal council said it was advised that a substantive decision to close the school was then made less than a fortnight later. "Not only am I staggered at how undemocratic this process is, how little regard is paid to listening to any views of stakeholders and the community, but your own guidance is very misleading regarding the role of the local authority in the process and decision," Wilkinson wrote. When the council makes a decision to close a school it is always reached after a "lengthy and very thorough public consultation process", she said."Your process has no consultation and pays scant regard to anything the community wants to say regarding the closure - this just isn't right," the councillor decision to shut the rural school, which has 18 pupils, prompted a campaign from parents, past pupils, and the wider than 600 people have signed a petition calling for the school to stay Our School campaigner Tim Barker said: "The whole process stinks."There's been a lack of oversight, a lack of authentic community engagement and a lack of humanity." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
North Yorkshire: Parents ask education secretary to save school
Parents have urged a government minister to reconsider her decision to allow the closure of a North Yorkshire primary have pledged to fight to save Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School, near Northallerton, with more than 600 people signing a petition calling for the school to remain Dales Academies Trust announced last month it planned to close the school at the end of the summer term due to low pupil secretary Bridget Phillipson has agreed to the closure, with North Yorkshire Council this week saying it had "no alternative" but to agree to the move as the authority has no control over the decision of an academy trust. In their latest move, members of the Save Our School campaign have written to Phillipson and contacted Richmond and Northallerton MP Rishi Sunak for Tim Barker, from the campaign group, said: "The school is one of the reasons that attracted local families to move here. Without it we're at risk of becoming solely a silver-haired retirement village."He added: "There's 250 years of heritage in the school that is going to be lost."Mr Barker said the trust had announced the closure with "zero consultation".He said the campaign group rejected the trust's claim that low numbers impacted on children's social Yorkshire Council senior officers and councillors met behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss the proposed closure, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Yorkshire Council's executive member for education, learning and skills, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, whose division includes Kirkby Fleetham, said in a statement after the meeting: "As the school is an academy, it is not for us to make a decision about the closure, instead the process is being overseen by the trust under guidance set out by the Department for Education."However, she said the council objected to the process of closing academies "which does not allow for a public consultation". "We will write to the secretary of state regarding this," Wilkinson added. A report prepared for the meeting stated that there were 16 children currently at the school, which has a capacity of 63 this was predicted to fall to 15 next year, it was estimated that it would rise to 23 by 2029/ Chubb, chief executive of the Dales Academies Trust, had previously defended the closure, saying that a review had identified that low pupil numbers would impact on children's social development and the financial sustainability of the to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Families call for village school to be saved
The mother of a child with special educational needs has called for the village primary school her son attends to be saved from closure. The Dales Academies Trust revealed proposals to shut Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School near Bedale, North Yorkshire, after the summer term. It has just 18 pupils, and low enrolment and the impact on children's wellbeing as well as long-term financial sustainability were cited as reasons for the decision. Katy Bolton said her child had "absolutely flourished" since joining the school. Ms Bolton, who has set up a petition on behalf of parents, said: "We have been in contact with Rishi Sunak MP. There's been a couple of people in the community who have actually physically handed him written letters." She added that her son's previous school could not meet his needs. "He only started in January, and he's almost a different child," she said. Ms Bolton pointed out that the school had not been part of the Dales Academies Trust for long and was grouped with three other schools to "keep them alive". "I've seen personal proof that actually a smaller school has better provision and can provide better educational needs for the children that need it the most. "Obviously it's going to impact my child and probably a lot of the other children on a personal level because they're going to be split up from their friends. "I have been told by other people, like the parish council, that they're worried that the community and the village itself may end up just dying." The trust has received notification from the Department for Education that the Secretary of State has approved the decision to close the school. Damian Chubb, CEO of Dales Academies Trust, said: "This decision has not been taken lightly, and we will be working closely with the families affected by the change to ensure their children are well-placed in a new school." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Village primary school with 18 pupils to close Village school could close as pupil numbers fall Rural primary school to close over lack of pupils
