North Yorkshire Council

Thirsk and Malton Area Constituency Committee

22 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 Thirsk & Malton constituency committee area.

2.0 Local educational landscape

2.1 There are now 21 primary academies and 5 secondary academies within the Thirsk & Malton constituency area.  The academy conversion rate for primary schools is similar within the constituency area when compared to the county as a whole (38.2% compared to 39.1% in North Yorkshire.) The academy conversion rate for secondary schools is also similar (71.4% compared to 67.4% in North Yorkshire).

Summary of schools’ status – 1 February 2024

	Schools in North Yorkshire		Schools in Thirsk & Malton ACC
Primary Maintained	181	60.9%	34	61.8%
Primary Academy & Free School	116	39.1%	21	38.2%
Total	297	100%	55	100%
Secondary Maintained	14	32.6%	2	28.6%
Secondary Academy	29	67.4%	5	71.4%
Total	43	100%	7	100%
Special Maintained	6	60%	1	100%
Special Academy	4	40%	0	0%
Total	10		1	100%
PRU Maintained	4	80%	0
PRU Academy	1	20%	0
Total	5		0	100%
Total maintained Total Academy Overall Total	205 150 355	57.7% 42.3%	49 25 74	58.7% 41.3% 100%

3.0 School standards

3.1 School Ofsted judgements

In the constituency area, as of January 2024, 79.6% of primary schools were judged Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is below the North Yorkshire and National rates. In terms of secondary schools, 71.4% were judged Good or Outstanding, this is also lower than the North Yorkshire and national averages. Overall, there are 5 schools judged ‘requires improvement’, 8 is ‘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, Welburn Hall Special School was graded as ‘Good’.

In 2023, 90% (27 of 30) 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.

3.3       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.

3.4 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP)

In 2023, 69.3% 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 this is a slightly higher rate than national.

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile – percentage achieving a good level of development
	Thirsk and Malton	North Yorks	National
2018	70.60%	72.50%	71.60%
2019	72.40%	72.80%	71.80%
2022	66.50%	68.30%	65.20%
2023	69.30%	79.30%	67.20%

3.5 Key Stage 2

In 2023, 56.1% of children in the constituency area achieved the expected level or above in reading, writing and maths combined, which is the same as the North Yorkshire average and lower than 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.
	Thirsk and Malton	North Yorkshire	National
2018	60.20%	62.10%	64.40%
2019	64.80%	63.40%	64.90%
2022	59.40%	56.60%	58.70%
2023	56.10%	56.10%	59.60%

3.6 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 46.4 for 2023. This is slightly below the North Yorkshire average and slightly above the national average.  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
	Thirsk and Malton	North Yorkshire	National
2018	48.1	48.5	48.5
2019	47.9	48.7	48.7
2022	49.5	50.3	48.8
2023	46.4	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 above the North Yorkshire average in 2023. A comparison of the Progress 8 scores for schools within the Thirsk and Malton constituency area against county-wide is shown below.

KS4 – Average Progress 8 Score
	Thirsk and Malton	North Yorkshire	National
2018	0.21	0.13	-0.02
2019	0.13	0.10	-0.03
2022	0.07	0.03	-0.03
2023	0.10	0.01	-0.03

The percentage achieving a grade 5 or above (grading is 9-1) in English and Maths (Basics measure) was 45.3% for 2023. This is slightly above the national and slightly below the North Yorkshire average in 2023.

KS4 – Percentage achieving a grade 5 or above in English and Maths
	Thirsk and Malton	North Yorkshire	National
2018	45.9%	48.0%	43.3%
2019	44.2%	47.4%	43.2%
2022	52.1%	53.8%	49.8%
2023	45.3%	45.7%	45.0%

3.7 Not in education, employment or training

There were 864 young people recorded in Year 11 living in this constituency in May 2023 and of this cohort only 18 (2.1%) 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. 391 of these children were on roll of mainstream schools in the Thirsk and Malton constituency area.

In 2021/22, there were 5197 Suspensions for a total of 2046 individual children, 305 of these children were on roll of mainstream schools in the Thirsk and Malton constituency area.

Suspension Incidents
	Pupils suspended		Total Suspensions
Academic year	North Yorkshire	Thirsk and Malton (mainstream)	North Yorkshire	Thirsk and Malton (mainstream)	Percentage of North Yorkshire total (incidents)	Most common reason (Skipton and Ripon)
2018/19	2149	302	5970	828	13.87%	Persistent disruptive behaviour (47.8%)
2019/20	1578	246	4365	757	17.34%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (63.5%)
2020/21	1578	221	3553	543	15.28%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (55.4%)
2021/22	2046	305	5197	915	17.61%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (48.5%)
2022/23	2753	391	7639	1200	16%	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour (48.1%)

In 2022/23, schools in the constituency area had a 15% share of the total schools’ population in North Yorkshire and had a 16% 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, 23 of which were for children in Thirsk and Malton mainstream schools. In the same period of 2021/22, there were 55 permanent exclusions, 7 of which were from the Thirsk and Malton area.

Academic year	Thirsk and Malton	North Yorkshire	Percentage of North Yorkshire total
2018/19	15	87	17%
2019/20	9	51	17.65%
2020/21	4	26	15.38%
2021/22	7	55	12.73%
2022/23	23	96	24%

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

669 in constituency children with a North Yorkshire funded EHC plan (January 2024) 13.9% of the North Yorkshire total. The most common needs are:

· Autism (36%)

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

· Moderate Learning Disabilities (MLD, 17%)

1594 in constituency with SEN Support in North Yorkshire schools, 2023 School Census (January) 15.6% of the North Yorkshire total. The most common needs are:

· Speech, Language and Communication (SLCN, 23%)

· Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. Dyslexia), 21%

· Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH, 20%)

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. 183 (14.4%) were for children or young people living in the constituency in 2023, a circa. 51% increase on the 121 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, 129 of which were formerly from a mainstream school in Thirsk and Malton ACC. At the same point last year, there were 813 children EHE in North Yorkshire, 128 formerly from a mainstream school in Thirsk and Malton constituency area. 

In the 2022/23 academic year, 482 children became EHE in North Yorkshire, 90 of which were formerly educated in a mainstream school in the Thirsk and Malton constituency area. This figure in the previous academic year (2021/22) was 78 from Thirsk and Malton 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 – Thirsk & Malton

2022/23 31 schools projecting to be in budget surplus as at 31 March 2023 3 schools projecting to be in deficit by March 2023; 9% of schools in Thirsk & Malton (2 primary, 1 special) Projected average primary surplus = £117k Projected average secondary surplus = £124k Projected average special surplus = N/A Projected average primary deficit = -£9k Projected average secondary deficit = N/A Projected average special deficit = -£1,587k (Data Source – 2023/24 Revised Budgets)

2023/24 26 schools projecting to be in budget surplus as at 31 March 2024 8 schools projecting to be in deficit by March 2024; 24% of schools in Thirsk & Malton  (6 primary, 1 secondary, 1 special) Projected average primary surplus = £97k Projected average secondary surplus = £289k Projected average special surplus = N/A Projected average primary deficit = -£8k Projected average secondary deficit = -£98k Projected average special deficit = -£1,759 (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 with two of these (Weaverthorpe CE VC Primary School and Hovingham CE VC Primary) occurring in the constituency area.

The LA has approved a consultation on the future of St Hilda’s, Ampleforth CE VC Primary School. There are currently 13 pupils of statutory school age in the school and there are not projected to be any new reception pupils starting in September 2024. This will reduce the number of pupils to 9 from September. The consultation period is running from 1 March to 19 April. The Executive will consider the responses received during this period before deciding whether to proceed with the proposal to close the school.

8.2 Collaborative working

Federations are two or more schools working together to their mutual benefit with the potential to broaden opportunities and contribute to efficiencies. There are now six federations, with single governing bodies, in the Thirsk and Malton constituency area.

8.3 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 Thirsk and Malton constituency area. The general picture shows projected growth in numbers in the urban areas contrasting with declining numbers in rural locations. There are several social and economic reasons for this including the availability and price of housing and employment factors.

A large proportion of the constituency is served by small schools located within villages. A falling birth rate combined with changing demographics means that small, rural schools are facing financial challenges associated with low, or fluctuating, numbers on roll. However, the schools have worked innovatively to mitigate these challenges including forming local federations.

Appendix 1 does not include projections of pupil yield from sites proposed in the Hambleton or Ryedale Local Plans which do not yet have planning approval.  Parts of Hambleton’s Local Plan falls outside the constituency area.   Within the constituency area, Thirsk and Easingwold are the principal towns in the Hambleton Local Plan and the urban areas to accommodate most of the housing growth over the Local Plan period.

In the Ryedale district a high proportion of the projected housing growth has been allocated to sites within the main urban centre of Malton and Norton. Following the creation of North Yorkshire Council the authority is developing a combined Local Plan for North Yorkshire. CYPS officers will work with Planning colleagues to ensure that future allocation of housing and its impact on the sufficiency of school places are monitored. Where appropriate developer contributions will be secured to allow expansions of existing schools or creation of new schools.

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

8.4 Easingwold Area –

Easingwold town is identified as a ‘Principal Area’ for housing growth in Hambleton’s Local Plan. There is sufficient capacity in Outwood Academy, Easingwold’s secondary school, to accommodate the yield of older pupils from this housing in the Local Plan. To help accommodate the yield of younger pupils, Easingwold Community Primary School has recently been adapted to increase its capacity.  Having reviewed the potential further impact of the housing development to the rear of Easingwold Primary School, officers have negotiated a developer contribution for expansion of places in the primary school and also additional land for expansion of its playing field land and car park in a Section 106 Agreement.

8.5 Thirsk Area –

The Sowerby Gateway housing development, in Thirsk, is now complete and Keeble Gateway, a one-form-entry primary school, has been opened to serve the Sowerby Gateway development. There are other housing sites allocated for Thirsk in the Hambleton Local Plan.  The appended figures illustrate how, despite housing developments for Thirsk in the Hambleton Local Plan, both the primary and secondary school are forecast to have surplus spaces and the housing is not forecast to generate a shortfall in either school.    

8.6 Malton and Norton Area Primary –

As stated above, the Malton and Norton area is the main area of projected housing growth identified in the Ryedale Local Plan. A further form of entry (210 places) was added to Norton Community Primary School partly through the development of a new satellite site at Brooklyn House. This was projected to meet the need for new places arising from existing sites with planning permission within Norton. There is a further school site allocated within the Local Plan for the largest housing allocation in the district at Norton Lodge. Officers are working with the developer to secure the site as part of a S106 agreement. This application was submitted in 2021 and is still going through the Planning process.

Alongside these expansions in Norton there has been a parallel strategy to increase places in Malton. Projects were explored to provide further places through S106 contributions at both Malton Community Primary School and St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School. The latter of these projects has now completed and provides a further half form of entry (105 places) at St Mary’s. At present, pupil yields arising from the housing developments in Malton have not been as high as projected and, as such, no further expansions are planned at this time. The situation is being monitored and if this changes further expansion can be reconsidered.

8.7 Malton and Norton Area Secondary -

At the outset of the Local Plan process in Ryedale there was surplus capacity at both the secondary schools within the Malton and Norton school place planning area. However, given the projected levels of housing growth it was acknowledged that at some point further secondary places may need to be provided. The LA has completed a project at Malton School to support an increase in their admission number. This will provide some additional places that are projected to be required in coming years. However, there is still further capacity available at Norton Academy. The LA will work with both schools to consider further expansion if this becomes necessary, and in particular will review the impact of any new Local Plan allocations.

8.8 Kirkbymoorside Primary Capacity –

Recent years have seen the partial build-out of a longstanding housing allocation in Kirkbymoorside. A s.106 contribution was secured to mitigate the impact of this development and LA officers have worked with the Primary School and their Academy Trust to consider the long-term effects of this development on pupil numbers at the school.

8.0 Welburn Hall School -

Welburn Hall School is a Special School which accommodates pupils from the ages of 8 to 19 with a wide range of Special Educational needs. Following the identification of works required to the heating system in the main building the Council have worked with the school to secure temporary accommodation of pupils on the site whilst a refurbishment project takes place. This is a significant project which also includes works to improve the drainage system across the whole school site. Works are due to commence on site during the summer of 2024 and be completed for the school to reoccupy the building for September 2025.

9.0 Recommendation

9.1 That Members note the report on educational factors in the Thirsk and Malton constituency area.

Authors: Amanda Newbold (Assistant Director – Education and Skills), Howard Emmett (Assistant Director – Strategic Resources), Janet Crawford (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/ 2029
PRIMARY
Thirsk · All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy · Sowerby Primary Academy · Thirsk CP · Keeble Gateway Academy	899	612	637	262	608	89	202
Thirsk Outer Area · Alanbrooke Academy · Carlton Miniott Primary Academy · Knayton CE Academy · Sessay CE VC Primary · South Kilvington CE Academy · Topcliffe CE Academy · Pickhill CE Primary* · Dishforth CE Primary*	912	864	813	99	781	47	84
Total	1811	1476	1450	361	1389	136	286
Easingwold · Easingwold CP	297	224	295	2	275	91	-69
Easingwold Outer Area · Outwood Primary Academy Alne · Crayke CE VC Primary · Forest of Galtres Anglican/Methodist Primary · Huby CE · Husthwaite CE · Linton on Ouse Primary · Sheriff Hutton Primary · Stillington Primary · Sutton on the Forest CE	1032	808	708	324	695	50	287
Total	1329	1032	1003	326	970	141	218
Filey Primary · Filey Junior · Filey CE Nursery & Infants Academy	548	451	435	113	409	35	104
Filey Outer Area · Hertford Vale CE VC Primary · Hunmanby Primary · Sherburn CE VC Primary	441	388	361	80	309	5	127
Total	989	839	796	193	718	40	231

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/ 2029
Malton & Norton · Amotherby CP · Malton Primary Academy · Norton CP · St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy	1344	1204	1141	203	1085	39	220
Malton & Norton Outer Area · Foston CE VC Primary · Langton Primary · Leavening CP · Luttons CP · Rillington CP · Sand Hutton CE VC Primary · Settrington All Saint’s CE VC · Slingsby CP · Terrington CE VA · Warthill CE · Welburn CP · West Heslerton CE	915	838	765	150	722	24	169
Total	2259	2042	1906	353	1807	63	389
North Ryedale Primary Area · Helmsley CP · Kirkbymoorside CP · Pickering Community Infant · Pickering Community Junior · St Joseph's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy	990	779	752	238	759	23	208
North Ryedale Primary Outer Area · Gillamoor CE · Nawton CP · Rosedale Abbey CP · Sinnington CP · St Hilda’s Ampleforth CE · Thornton Dale CE · St Benedict's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy	619	465	468	151	481	5	133
Total	1609	1244	1220	389	1240	28	341

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/ 2029
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
Northallerton Primary Outer Area · Ainderby Steeple CE* · Appleton Wiske CP* · Brompton CP* · East Cowton CE* · Great Smeaton Academy* · Kirkby Fleetham CE* · Osmotherley Primary* · South Otterington CE	813	572	566	247	514	138	161
SECONDARY
Thirsk · Thirsk School & Sixth Form	1255	918	1024	231	989	71	195
Central Ryedale · Malton School · Norton College	1971	1655	1815	156	1766	33	172
Easingwold · Outwood Academy Easingwold	1336	642	732	604	811	73	452
North Ryedale · Lady Lumley’s School, · Ryedale School	1922	1658	1540	382	1372	14	536
Filey · Filey School	810	386	452	358	476	21	313

Note

· School planning areas are groups of schools which are used for assessing current and future pupil demand for school place provision and structured according to DfE guidelines.

· Figures above take into account outstanding housing permissions, but not undetermined planning applications or draft Local Plan proposals.  Pupil yield from housing is based on 25% for primary aged pupils and 13% for secondary aged pupils.