North Yorkshire Council

Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee

14 March 2024

Schools, educational achievement and finance

1.0 1.1

Purpose of the Report To inform Members of the local educational landscape, educational achievement and the financial challenges which affect schools in the Harrogate & Knaresborough constituency committee area.

2.0 Local educational landscape

2.1 There are now 21 primary academies and 5 secondary academies within the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area.  The academy conversion rate for primary schools is higher within the constituency area when compared to the county as a whole (72.4% compared to 39.1% in North Yorkshire.) The academy conversion rate for secondary schools is also higher (71.4% compared to 67.4% in North Yorkshire).

Summary of schools’ status – 1 February 2024

	Schools in North Yorkshire		Schools in Harrogate & Knaresborough ACC
Primary Maintained	181	60.9%	8	27.6%
Primary Academy & Free School	116	39.1%	21	72.4%
Total	297		29
Secondary Maintained	14	32.6%	2	28.6%
Secondary Academy	29	67.4%	5	71.4%
Total	43		7
Special Maintained	6	60%	1	50%
Special Academy	4	40%	1	50%
Total	10		2
PRU Maintained	4	80%	0	0%
PRU Academy	1	20%	1	100%
Total	5		1
Total maintained Total Academy Overall Total	205 150 355	57.7% 42.3%	11 28 39	28.2% 71.8%

3.0 School standards

3.1 School Ofsted judgements

In the constituency area, as of January 2024, 96.6% of primary schools were judged Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is above the North Yorkshire and National rates. In terms of secondary schools, 57.1% were judged Good or Outstanding lower than the North Yorkshire and National averages. Overall there are 4 schools judged ‘requires improvement’, none are ‘inadequate’ in the constituency area. 

At the time of writing, 6 of the 10 North Yorkshire Maintained Special Schools were recorded as either ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ and all of the 5 Alternative Provision schools (AP) were recorded as ‘Good’. As of the most recent Ofsted inspections in the area, Springwater School was graded as ‘Good’ and The Forest Special School was graded as ‘Requires Improvement’. Springwell Pupil Referral Unit (AP) was graded as ‘Good’ at its most recent Ofsted Alternative Provision inspection.

In 2023, 91% (31 of 34) of the Childcare establishments (childcare in non-domestic premises) which have had an Ofsted inspection in the constituency were ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding. The rate in North Yorkshire was 94% at the same time.

3.2 Attainment overall

For two years, exams and assessments in schools did not take place because of the disruption to students’ education caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2020 GCSEs, AS and A level exams faced widespread cancellation and were replaced with a grading process involving teacher/ centre assessment.  Similarly, summer 2021 assessments were awarded based on teacher or centre assessment and no statistical adjustment processes were used. Overall, final grades were significantly higher in both 2020 and 2021 than in 2019.

The Government allowed GCSEs, AS and A Level and equivalent assessments and exams to go ahead in England in summer 2022, and has made some changes to general, vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs). Additionally, school-level performance (league) tables were re-introduced for the end of the GCSE phase (key stage 4) in 2022; school-level information for secondary phase was not published during either 2020 or 2021.

It is important to emphasise that direct comparisons with outcomes from previous years need to be made with the pandemic in mind, as pupils will have had disrupted learning during this period. Apart from this factor, there have also been several changes to exams and grading. As such, the DfE have recommended that caution is exercised when making comparisons with previous years.

In primary schools, performance across North Yorkshire at Early Years (Early Years Foundation Stage Profile) has continued to be above national benchmarks and is beginning to approach attainment seen before the pandemic. Attainment of children at Key Stage 2 however is down slightly on previous years, it is clear that national attainment is yet to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Initial data is now available for Key Stage 4, giving us an overview of attainment of pupils leaving Year 11 in 2023. Attainment across the country at this Key Stage has fallen compared to last year. In North Yorkshire, attainment appears to have returned to pre-pandemic levels and is now very similar to National attainment levels.

3.3 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP)

In 2023, 70.8% of children in the constituency area achieved a Good Level of Development. An in-year comparison of EYFSP outcomes with LA and national figures (see table below) shows that a lower proportion of pupils within the constituency area achieved a good level of development compared with all NYC pupils but higher than national.

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile – percentage achieving a good level of development
	Harrogate & Knaresborough	North Yorks	National
2018	75.20%	72.50%	71.60%
2019	72.80%	72.80%	71.80%
2022	70.00%	68.30%	65.20%
2023	70.80%	79.30%	67.20%

3.4 Key Stage 2

In 2023, 58.1% of children in the constituency area achieved the expected level or above in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly higher than the North Yorkshire and the national average. An in-year comparison of KS2 attainment with LA and national figures is shown in the table below.

Key Stage 2 - percentage achieving the expected standard or above in reading, writing and maths combined.
	Harrogate & Knaresborough	North Yorkshire	National
2018	66.30%	62.10%	64.40%
2019	68.80%	63.40%	64.90%
2022	62.40%	56.60%	58.70%
2023	58.10%	56.10%	59.60%

3.5 Key Stage 4

Although Key Stage 4 data has been published by the DfE it has not yet been validated at individual school level. Therefore, all data in this section of the report should be considered provisional.

The average Attainment 8 score, which measures the achievement of a pupil across eight qualifications, was 49.1 for 2023. This is above the North Yorkshire and national averages.  Attainment 8 scores at Key Stage 4 have fallen nationally to 46.2 (from 48.8 in the 2021/22 academic year). We have seen a similar picture in North Yorkshire, with Attainment 8 scores falling to 46.7 (from 50.3).

KS4 – Average Attainment 8 Score
	Harrogate & Knaresborough	North Yorkshire	National
2018	52.0	48.5	48.5
2019	52.0	48.7	48.7
2022	53.6	50.3	48.8
2023	49.1	46.7	46.2

The Progress 8 score, which measures a pupil’s progress from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school, was higher than the national average and the North Yorkshire average in 2023. A comparison of the Progress 8 scores for schools within the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area against county-wide and national figures is shown below. 

KS4 – Average Progress 8 Score
	Harrogate & Knaresborough	North Yorkshire	National
2018	0.26	0.13	-0.02
2019	0.25	0.10	-0.03
2022	0.12	0.03	-0.03
2023	0.06	0.01	-0.03

The percentage achieving a grade 5 or above (grading is 9-1) in English and Maths (Basics measure) was 49.3% for 2023. This is above both the national and the North Yorkshire average in 2023

KS4 – Percentage achieving a grade 5 or above in English and Maths
	Harrogate & Knaresborough	North Yorkshire	National
2018	54.2%	48.0%	43.3%
2019	54.0%	47.4%	43.2%
2022	61.4%	53.8%	49.8%
2023	49.3%	45.7%	45.0%

3.6 Not in education, employment or training

There were 1043 young people recorded in Year 11 living in this constituency in May 2023 and of this cohort only 15 (1.4%) were not in education, employment or training after leaving school as of January 2024.

4.0 Suspension Incidents and Permanent Exclusions

4.1      Suspension Incidents

In the 2022/23 academic year, there have been a total of 7639 suspensions for a total of 2753 individual children in North Yorkshire. 459 of these children were on roll of mainstream schools in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area.

In 2021/22, there were 5197 Suspensions for a total of 2046 individual children, 314 of these children were on roll of mainstream schools in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area.

Suspension Incidents
	Pupils suspended		Total Suspensions
Academic year	North Yorkshire	Harrogate and Knaresborough (mainstream)	North Yorkshire	Harrogate and Knaresborough (mainstream)	Percentage of North Yorkshire total (incidents)	Most common reason (Harrogate and Knaresborough)
2018/19	2149	333	5970	998	16.72%	Persistent disruptive behaviour (43.2%)
2019/20	1578	238	4365	577	13.22%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (34.9%)
2020/21	1578	238	3553	502	14.13%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (37.7%)
2021/22	2046	314	5197	794	15.28%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (40%)
2022/23	2753	459	7639	1142	15%	Persistent disruptive behaviour (42.0%)

In 2022/23, schools in the constituency area had a 20.4% share of the total schools population in North Yorkshire and had a 15% share of suspensions for the whole county.

4.2      Permanent exclusions

In 2022/23, there were 96 permanent exclusions from all schools in the county, 10 of which were for children in Harrogate and Knaresborough mainstream schools. In the same period of 2021/22, there were 55 permanent exclusions, 10 of which were from the Harrogate and Knaresborough area.

Academic year	Harrogate and Knaresborough	North Yorkshire	Percentage of North Yorkshire total
2018/19	14	87	16%
2019/20	11	51	21.57%
2020/21	5	26	19.23%
2021/22	10	55	18.18%
2022/23	10	96	16%

4.3 Responding to increasing exclusion from schools

From September 2020 a preventative model of alternative provision was commissioned to enhance support for schools in avoiding permanent exclusions and the model is continuing to be refined.

The Inclusion service is continuing to ensure that permanently excluded pupils are receiving the support they need to return to school and the curriculum offered at alternative provision is improving as part of a mainstream school model. 

Training is continuing to be offered to schools for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, as part of a commitment to support schools in adopting more inclusive practices.

Two support pathways have also been introduced to reduce and prevent exclusions from schools. The Pupil Support Pathway is used to identify risks of multiple or permanent exclusion and professionals are becoming involve earlier to address difficulties. The School Support Pathway has been implemented to support and challenge schools which are identified as having the highest exclusion rates in the county.

The SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan was published by the government in 2023. The plan was presented as a roadmap for improving inclusion in mainstream schools within a national system but it also acknowledged the role of Alternative Provision (AP) as an intervention rather than a destination for children excluded from mainstream. It also identified preventative approaches similar to the North Yorkshire approach. We can expect the plan to be rolled out as part of a national system in the coming years.

5.0      Special Education Needs and Disabilities

5.1 SEN Statistics for Constituency Area

883 in constituency children with a North Yorkshire  funded EHC plan (January 2024) 18.4% of the North Yorkshire total. The most common needs are:

· Autism (46%)

· Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH, 18%)

· Moderate Learning Disabilities (MLD, 11%)

1906 in constituency with SEN Support in North Yorkshire schools, 2023 School Census (January) 18.7% of the North Yorkshire total. The most common needs are:

· Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. Dyslexia), 30%

· Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH, 18%)

· Speech, Language and Communication (SLCN, 16%)

5.2 Increasing demand for Education, Health and Care plans (EHC plans)

The continuing rise in new EHC plans being issued by North Yorkshire Council is a consequence of an increasing demand for assessments seen during the course of previous years, a trend which reflects the national picture.

2023 saw the highest number of requests for assessment for an EHC plan since EHC plans were introduced. A total of 1275 requests were received by North Yorkshire Council in 2023, this is a circa 30% increase on the total received in 2022. 199 (15.8%) were for children or young people living in the constituency in 2023, a circa. 14% increase on the 174 in 2022.

At the time of writing, there were circa 600 requests either awaiting a decision to assess, a decision to issue an EHC plan or awaiting the finalising of a plan. At the same point last year, there were circa 300 in process. This rise in requests in process is at least partly due to the difficulty in gathering required information for decisions on EHC plan assessments, owing to an acute national shortage of Educational Psychologists (EPs) available.

North Yorkshire Council’s approach to the challenge has involved the contracting of agencies in addressing a backlog in receiving advice from Educational Psychologist services. There has also been a successful recruitment drive in 2024 with the appointment of a new principal EP and a number of part-time and trainee EPs. This is expected to have a consequent effect of an upturn in overall timeliness in final plans being issued towards through the year.

5.3 SEND provision

Providing appropriate provision to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has become an area of increasing pressure on resources in local authorities throughout the country. The government has acknowledged these delivery pressures and released the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in 2023 to address this and a Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme was announced as part of a best practice approach to sustainable provision for children with high needs.

North Yorkshire has participated in the DBV programme as part of a wider inclusion plan which aims to bring positive change for SEND services. The aim of the programme is to identify changes that will make the biggest difference in getting better outcomes and to help council’s use their resources in .the most efficient way. Progress against these aims will continue to be monitored.

6.0 Elective Home Education

As of the beginning of the 2023/24 academic year there were 817 children recorded as Electively Home Educated (EHE) in North Yorkshire, 95 of which were formerly from a mainstream school in Harrogate and Knaresborough ACC. At the same point last year, there were 813 children EHE in North Yorkshire, 87 formerly from a mainstream school in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area.  This represents a 9% increase in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In the 2022/23 academic year, 482 children became EHE in North Yorkshire, 53 of which were formerly educated in a mainstream school in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area. This figure in the previous academic year (2021/22) was 58 from Harrogate and Knaresborough out of 452 becoming EHE in North Yorkshire.

7.0 School Finance

7.1 2022/2023 School Revenue Balances

Local Authority maintained school revenue balances as at 31 March 2023 are summarised below, together with a comparison with 2022. The balances are also expressed as a percentage of school delegated budgets. 

	Primary & Nursery 170 schools	Secondary 15 schools	Special 6 schools	Pupil Referral Unit 4 schools	Total 195 schools
Total School Revenue Balances (Net) as at 31 March 2023	£15,054k	-£973k	-£887k	£753k	£13,947k
% of Revenue Budget	12.4%	-1.7%	-5.6%	31.4%	7.1%
No. Schools with an Accumulated Revenue Budget Surplus as at 31 March 2023	149	10	2	3	164
No. Schools with an Accumulated Revenue Budget Deficit as at 31 March 2023	21	5	4	1	31
Comparison to total school revenue balance (net) as at 31 March 2022	-£1,368k	-£770k	-£75k	-£68k	-£2,281k

(The number of school budgets submitted to the local authority for 2022/23 is lower than the total number of local authority maintained schools operating within North Yorkshire due to a number of school federations operating a single, amalgamated budget covering all of the schools within the federation)

31 schools (16% of LA Maintained schools) had an accumulated revenue budget deficit totalling £6.6M as at 31 March 2023. An analysis of the budget deficits by school phase is detailed in the table below:

	Primary & Nursery	Secondary	Special	Pupil Referral Unit	Total
No. Schools with an Accumulated Revenue Budget Deficit as at 31 March 2023	21	5	4	1	31
Total School Revenue Deficit Balances as at 31 March 2023	-£1,078k	-£3,363k	-£2,027k	-£95k	-£6,563k
Average Value of Accumulated Revenue Budget Deficit as at 31 March 2023	-£51k	-£673k	-£507k	-£95k	-£212k
Highest Accumulated Revenue Budget Deficit as at 31March 2023	-£216k	-£998k	-£1,587k	-£95k	-£1,587k
Lowest Accumulated Revenue Budget Deficit as at 31 March 2023	-£1.3k	-£141k	-£18k	-£95k	-£1.3k

7.2 School Budget Projections - Based on 2023/24 Revised budgets

The 2023/24 Revised Budgets submitted to the local authority by schools in December 2023 are summarised below:

	Primary & Nursery 163 schools	Secondary 14 schools	Special 6 schools	Pupil Referral Unit 4 schools	Total 187 schools
Total Forecast School Revenue Balances (Net) as at 31 March 2024	£11,820k	-£1,393k	-£888k	£593k	£10,132k
No. Schools with an Accumulated Forecast Revenue Budget Surplus as at 31 March 2024	138	7	3	3	151
Average Value of Accumulated Forecast Revenue Budget Surplus as at 31 March 2024	£96k	£307k	£381k	£204k	£113k
No. Schools with an Accumulated Forecast Budget Deficit as at 31 March 2024	25	7	3	1	36
Average Value of Accumulated Forecast Revenue Budget Deficit as at 31 March 2024	-£55k	-£506k	-£677k	-£19k	-£194k
Comparison to total school revenue balance as at 31^st March 2023	-£3,234k	-£420k	-£1k	-£160k	-£3,815k

(The overall number of individual school budgets have reduced from 195 to 187 between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years due to 2 schools moving to operate within a joint budget Federation, 5 schools converting to academy status and 1 school closing).

7.3 School Finance and Funding Issues

· The Department for Education (DfE) provided revised 2024/25 school funding information on 6 October 2023 after the identification of an error made by DfE officials during the initial calculations of the NFF and processing of forecast pupil numbers. Nationally, the overall cost of the core schools budget is 0.62% greater than allocated resulting in the funding through the mainstream schools national funding formula (NFF) increasing by 1.9% per pupil in 2024-25, compared to 2023-24; the original increase announced in July 2023 was 2.7% per pupil.

· School budgets have experienced significant cost pressures in the 2023/24 financial year. Cost pressures include:

- Pay award cost pressures. The September 2023 teachers pay award was 6.5%, with school budgets being required to meet the initial 3.5% cost and the DfE providing additional grant funding to cover the cost in excess of 3.5%. The 2023/24 support staff pay award of £1,925 on non-teaching salary points 2 – 43 (equates to a 9.42% increase for staff on the lowest salary point) is a particularly cost pressure for schools in relation to classroom support staff.

- Energy inflation cost pressures of 100%

- Overall inflationary pressures of 10.1%

- Cost pressures associated with supporting an increasing number of pupils with additional SEND support needs.

- Below forecast inflation increases in school funding provided by Government for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.

· North Yorkshire secondary schools are placed 141 out of 150 local authorities in terms of funding level per pupil. On average, a school in North Yorkshire will receive £5,994 per pupil in 2023-24 compared to a national average of £6,542. Comparing the funding for a 1,500 pupil secondary school this equates to a difference in funding of £0.82m. The funding for North Yorkshire primary schools is more favourable with a position 32 out of 150 local authorities in terms of the funding level per pupil.  For primary schools, a North Yorkshire school will receive on average £5,125 per pupil compared to a national average of £5,014. The average funding position in relation to primary schools in North Yorkshire is influenced by the levels of the lump sum and sparsity funding received through the DfE National Funding Formula by the relatively high number of small, rural primary schools within the local authority area.

· North Yorkshire has a number of schools that, geographically, are vital in serving their local communities. Inadequate sparsity funding and general financial pressures for smaller, rural secondary schools, continues to be a significant concern.  NYC utilises the provision in the DfE National Funding Formula (NFF) to locally provide additional lump sum funding of £50k for the smallest (less than 350 pupils), most rural secondary schools. NYC continues to lobby the DfE and local MPs for higher levels of funding for the small, rural secondary schools within the LA.

7.4 Local Authority Support for Schools in Financial Difficulty

· The Local Authority adopts a number of measures to support schools facing financial difficulty:

- the use of a financial risk rating framework to determine the level of support, challenge and intervention undertaken at individual school level,

-    the escalation path for financial intervention including the use of Notices of Financial Concern, where deemed appropriate. Currently, eight schools are subject to a Notice of Financial Concern.

- the undertaking of School Resource Management reviews in individual schools where this has been identified as an appropriate intervention through the risk rating process. The reviews are based on the DfE School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA) model and are undertaken by LA staff, many of whom have the SRMA accreditation

-    continuing to undertake research into small school financial effectiveness to identify and share best practice 

- review of the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) and Resource Management dashboard in financially challenged schools

- continuing the promotion of school collaboration and the sharing of best practice in terms of effective resource management between schools

- the provision of Headteacher and Governor finance briefings and training

- continuing to lobby DfE for fairer funding for North Yorkshire schools, especially in relation to small, rural secondary schools.

· In July 2023, the DfE announced the provision of up to £40 million of additional funding in 2023/2024, to support individual schools which find themselves in particular financial difficulties. Of the £40 million, £20 million has been provided to local authorities which have the most significant maintained school deficits. The distribution of the £20 million is targeted and not every local authority will receive additional funding. The DfE have allocated the £20 million between local authorities who have aggregated school-level deficits as a proportion of their total maintained schools’ income above 1%. At the end of October 2023, the DfE announced that North Yorkshire Council will receive a funding allocation of £972k. The DfE have stated the funding is one-off and for the 2023-24 financial year only; there are no plans for the funding to continue for 2024-25. The local authority has developed proposed eligibility criteria and an associated funding allocation methodology for the distribution of the funding to schools in financial difficulty. These proposals will be considered by the Executive in mid-March 2024.

7.5 Schools Financial Position – Harrogate & Knaresborough

2022/23 6 schools projecting to be in budget surplus as at 31 March 2023 4 schools projecting to be in deficit by March 2023; 40% of schools in Harrogate & Knaresborough (2 primary, 1 secondary, 1 special) Projected average primary surplus = £100k Projected average secondary surplus = £168k Projected average special surplus = N/A Projected average primary deficit = -£124k Projected average secondary deficit = -£767k Projected average special deficit = -£18k (Data Source – 2023/24 Revised Budgets)

2023/24 6 schools projecting to be in budget surplus as at 31 March 2024 4 schools projecting to be in deficit by March 2024; 40% of schools in Harrogate & Knaresborough  (2 primary, 1 secondary, 1 special) Projected average primary surplus = £92k Projected average secondary surplus = £157k Projected average special surplus = N/A Projected average primary deficit = -£83k Projected average secondary deficit = -£679k Projected average special deficit = -£77k (Data Source – 2023/24 Revised Budgets)

8.0 Planning school places

8.1 School sustainability

The sustainability of schools is largely influenced by three key factors which are usually related to each other:

· Falling pupil rolls

· School standards

· Financial difficulty

Where school closures have regrettably occurred in North Yorkshire these factors have been relevant. There have been seven closures in the county over the last three years. Recent closures in the constituency area include:

Woodfield Community Primary School closed December 2022.

8.2 Pupil rolls – current and future

The Council has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available for every child under the Education Act 1996. For this purpose, it groups schools together into planning areas in accordance with the requirements of the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Appendix 1 shows the planning areas together with:

• Capacity in the planning area

• Current numbers on roll

• Projected future numbers

• Projected impact of approved housing developments

The Council is carefully monitoring pupil numbers across the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area. A proportion of the constituency is rural and served by small schools located within villages. A falling birth rate combined with changing demographics means that a number of small schools are facing financial challenges associated with low numbers on roll. In the constituency there are examples of schools working innovatively to mitigate these challenges including forming local federations. For all small schools the fluctuation of pupil numbers exacerbates the already challenging nature of school funding.

The general picture across the whole of the County shows projected growth in the urban areas (through new housing proposals) contrasting with declining numbers in rural locations. A falling birth rate combined with changing demographics means that a number of small schools are facing multiple challenges associated with low numbers on roll. There are several social and economic reasons for the rural pupil number issue, including the availability and price of housing and employment factors. 

Appendix 1 does not include projections of pupil yield from sites proposed in the former Harrogate District Council Local Plan that do not yet have planning approval, including the larger proposed west of Harrogate sites of H49 (Windmill Farm) and H51 (Lady Lane).

Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon will accommodate most of the housing growth over the Local Plan Period.

The key points to note within LA planning areas across the constituency area are:

8.3 Primary

Boroughbridge Primary Area

There are a high number of housing permissions in this area and Officers are monitoring the situation carefully in Boroughbridge Town and Kirby Hill in terms of school place planning and we continue to monitor the pace and scale of these developments in relation to school place planning.

Additional capacity is planned for Boroughbridge Community Primary School (60 places), with work expected to start on site in Summer 2024.

Harrogate Primary West – Members will be aware of the significant housing development planned/underway in the Harrogate west area.

The West of Harrogate Parameters Plan document was adopted in February 2022. The purpose of this document is to create an aligned, holistic site approach, addressing matters such as land use, access and movement, provision of community facilities and schools, green and blue infrastructure, public transport, cycling and pedestrian links, and phasing. Two primary school sites are provisionally indicated, one on H49 (Windmill Farm) and one on H51 (Land East of Whinney Lane).

In addition, the LA has secured an additional site for education at Penny Pot Lane. Housing development has started at Penny Pot Lane and we are currently monitoring the pace of housing and the impact on the need for additional school places. Additional capacity has been added to Oatlands Junior School.

Harrogate Primary Outer Area – In response to the significant housing developments in Killinghall, the LA have added three classrooms at Killinghall CE School since 2017, increasing the school’s capacity to that of a one form entry school (210 places).

Knaresborough Primary Town – A site for education provision has been secured at Manse Farm to primarily serve the Manse Farm development in Knaresborough and the proposed Highfield Farm development. Planning approval was secured in 2020. It is intended that the new school (with nursery provision) will be a free school (a state-funded school, operating as an academy, independent of the local authority). Elevate Multi Academy Trust has been appointed to run the new primary school. Through the ‘presumption route’ process, NYC is responsible for delivery and funding of the school using a combination of Basic Need Grant and developer contributions.

The age range of the school will be 3-11, providing places for 210 pupils (one form of entry) with the ability to expand to 420 places (two forms of entry) should that be required in the future. The school will provide places for boys and girls (mixed).  The school will also support general school place sufficiency in the Knaresborough area and will be opened in a phased approach to avoid destabilising existing provision.

The Council continues to actively encourage the third parties to resolve the issues that are preventing the transfer of the school land to the Council. Only when this is achieved would the Council be able to review and confirm its plans for the proposed school.

8.4 Secondary

Harrogate Secondary – Following discussions in 2019 with the local secondary schools additional capacity has been added at both Rossett School (2 additional classrooms) and Harrogate Grammar School (3 additional classrooms). Both will assist in meeting the expected rise in demand for places as a result of housing growth but pupil numbers will be kept under review.

Knaresborough - King James’s School - data continues to show that there are sufficient places for local children at King James’s School. It continues to be the case that a significant number of pupils from outside of the catchment area are able to secure places in the main admissions round. This is being kept under review.

A proposal to convert the former Woodfield Primary School to a special school  provision for children with autism is currently being developed with a target opening date of April 2025.

A proposal to provide additional special school places from September 2025 at Springwater School is currently being developed.

8.5      New Settlement -  Maltkiln

The LA has requested that provision be made for two primary school sites within the proposed new settlement at Maltkiln. However, it is not expected that the size of the overall development would generate sufficient pupils to require the provision of a new secondary school. It is intended that Boroughbridge High School would be expanded to meet the anticipated growth in secondary pupils from the development. However, safeguarded land for secondary provision is indicated within proposals for Maltkiln, should this be required in the future.  

9.0       Recommendation

 9.1 That Members note the report on educational factors in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area.

Authors: Amanda Newbold (Assistant Director – Education and Skills), Howard Emmett (Assistant Director – Strategic Resources), Jane Le-Sage (Assistant Director – Inclusion)

Appendix 1 - School Place Planning data

APPENDIX 1

Planning Areas and forecast surplus/shortfall school places

School planning area *School located in a neighbouring constituency area	Places available as at 2023/ 2024	Number on Roll 2019/ 2020	Number on roll 2023/ 2024	Surplus Capacity 2023/ 2024	Forecast pupils as at 2028/2029	Pupils from current housing permissions until 2028/2029	Surplus capacity 2028/29
Primary
Harrogate Primary Urban Central · Bilton Grange CP · Coppice Valley Primary · Saltergate Community Junior · Saltergate Infant · Starbeck Primary Academy · New Park Primary Academy · St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Harrogate, A Voluntary Academy · Willow Tree CP	2249	2010	1847	402	1645	137	467
Harrogate Primary Urban East · Grove Road CP · Hookstone Chase Primary · Richard Taylor CE · St Robert’s Catholic	1153	1142	1150	-3	1054	108	-9
Harrogate Primary Urban West · Oatlands Infant · Oatlands Junior · Pannal Primary · Rossett Acre Primary · St Peter’s CE Primary · Western Primary	2155	2098	2148	7	2067	172	-67
Harrogate Primary Outer Area · All Saint’s CE School* · Askwith CP* · Beckwithshaw CP* · Birstwith CE* · Admiral Long CE* · Darley CP* · Follifoot CE* · Hampsthwaite CE · Kettlesing Felliscliffe CP* · Killinghall CE · North Rigton CE* · Ripley Endowed · Sicklinghall CE* · Spofforth CE*	1377	1198	1076	301	984	178	215
Total	6934	6448	6294	634	5750	587	597
School planning area *School located in a neighbouring constituency area	Places available as at 2023/ 2024	Number on Roll 2019/ 2020	Number on roll 2023/ 2024	Surplus Capacity 2023/ 2024	Forecast pupils as at 2028/2029	Pupils from current housing permissions until 2028/2029	Surplus capacity 2028/29
Boroughbridge Primary Area · Boroughbridge Primary · Kirby Hill CE* · Roecliffe CE*	474	330	387	87	423	100	-49
Boroughbridge Primary Outer Area · Dishforth Airfield CP* · Great Ouseburn CP* · Green Hammerton CE* · Kirk Hammerton CE* · Marton-cum-Grafton CE · Nun Monkton Primary* · St Peter’s Brafferton CE* · Staveley CP	784	551	574	210	562	67	155
Total	1258	881	961	297	985	167	106
Knaresborough Primary · Aspin Park Academy · Meadowside Academy · St John’s CE Primary · St Mary’s Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic Academy	1190	1146	1102	88	957	172	61
Knaresborough Primary Outer Area · Goldsborough CE* · Long Marston CE* · Scotton Lingerfield Primary · Tockwith CE*	493	428	427	66	423	53	17
Total	1683	1574	1529	154	1380	225	78
Boroughbridge Secondary · Boroughbridge High School	763	481	466	297	532	87	144
Harrogate & Rural Secondary · Harrogate Grammar · Rossett School · Harrogate High · St John Fisher Catholic High · St Aidan’s CE High · Nidderdale High*	7749	7924	7530	219	7669	325	-245
Knaresborough Secondary · King James’s School	1720	1544	1550	170	1617	107	-4

Note

· Figures above take into account outstanding housing permissions, but not undetermined planning applications (including those sites to the West of Harrogate as detailed in the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan) or other Local Plan proposals.   Pupil yield from housing is based on 25% for primary aged pupils and 13% for secondary aged pupils.