Latest news with #KirkbyFleethamChurchofEnglandPrimarySchool
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'
BBC News
09-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
North Yorkshire village primary school to close despite petition
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 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 Department for Education has been contacted for comment. 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 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 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 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 school's roll has fallen to 18 pupils. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Kirkby Fleetham school closure councillor accused of 'hypocrisy'
A councillor has been accused of hypocrisy and urged to consider her position over a complaint she made to the government about the closure of a school in her Yorkshire Council's Annabel Wilkinson wrote to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson claiming the process to close Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School, near Northallerton, had been "undemocratic".An opposition councillor said Wilkinson, as executive member for education, had overseen the closure of several schools and contrasted that with her concern over the closure of one in her own council has been approached for comment. She had spoken out after the government made a substantive decision to close the school just two weeks after parents had been told of the an academy, the school comes under the direct control of the Department for Education rather than the local councillor, who represents the Morton-on-Swale and Appleton Wiske division, said "scant regard" had been paid to the views of the community over the the letter to the minister, the Conservative member said her authority had closed schools previously, but this had always been "after a lengthy and very thorough public consultation process". 'Implicit threat' According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Murday said Wilkinson had overseen the closure of at least three local authority schools as executive member for education."For those of us who have experience of attempting to overcome school closures by North Yorkshire Council, what comes as a shock is the hypocrisy demonstrated by Councillor Wilkinson when it comes to a school in her own electoral division."When [she] and her officers threaten to close a school they carry out a superficial consultation but take no notice of the views of the parents or the community."Murday, who represents the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale division, claimed school closures in North Yorkshire followed a common pattern."It starts with reports that pupil numbers are falling and the implicit threat to the school's existence," he said."Anxious parents protest to the council officers and members, but the threat of closure leads to an exodus of the remaining pupils and the closure becomes a fait accompli."Wilkinson is also responsible for changes to the home-to-school transport policy, which now only provides free transport to a child's nearest school, rather than their catchment said that policy was likely to cause chaos as the advice to prospective parents as they made their choice of secondary school was added: "As well as incompetence, Councillor Wilkinson now faces the accusation of hypocrisy."She should now carefully consider her position as the responsible executive member." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
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.
