APPENDIX 2

BAWB (Bainbridge, Askrigg and West Burton) Schools Federation.

Proposals by the Federated Governing Board to –

Change the age ranges of: -

1. Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary and Nursery School to an age range of 3-7 and that it becomes Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Infant and Nursery School; and

2. Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School to an age range of 7-11 and that it becomes Askrigg (VC) Junior School; and

3. Close West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School.

BAWB (Bainbridge, Askrigg and West Burton) Schools Federation

September 2025

Proposals by the federated governing board to restructure the federation into separate infant and junior schools – with Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Primary and Nursery School becoming an infant school (with an age range of 3-7) and Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School becoming a junior school (with an age range of 7-11) and to close West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School, from September 2026

Bainbridge Church of England (VC), West Burton Church of England (VC) and Askrigg (VC) Primary Schools are separate schools. The schools work together in a federation under the governance of a single federated governing board. This arrangement has ensured that good practice in the schools is shared. The federation’s governors have agreed to ask North Yorkshire Council to restructure the federation by changing the age ranges of two schools and closing one school.

The federated governing board and North Yorkshire Council have agreed to consult stakeholders on a proposal to create separate infant and junior schools serving children aged 3 to 11, from 1 September 2026. Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Primary and Nursery School would become an infant school with an age range of 3-7 years and Askrigg (VC) Primary School would become a junior school with an age range of 7-11 years, while West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School would close.

It is proposed that Askrigg and Bainbridge schools will restructure from 1 September 2026 and that the newly organised schools will subsequently be called Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Infant and Nursery School and Askrigg (VC) Junior School.

Please take time to look at the proposals, and then send us your views by the closing date on 7 November 2025. We look forward to hearing from you.

There will be a public meeting on:

8 October at 6pm at Askrigg Primary School, Yorebridge, Askrigg, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 3BJ.

Background

The villages of Askrigg, Bainbridge and West Burton and the areas of Wensleydale directly around them are currently served by three separate small primary schools. A single federated governing board is responsible for the governance of Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Primary and Nursery School, West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School and Askrigg (VC) Primary School, and an executive headteacher works with the federated governing board to make sure that good standards of teaching and learning are available for all pupils.

The current structure of the federation was established as a proactive response to the low numbers of pupils in the schools and have enabled the federation to provide sustainable education to pupils within the catchment areas and involve pupils of a similar age from across the federation being taught together in single classes. This means that, although parents/carers select at which school to enrol their children, the governing board has arranged the education of some of the federation’s pupils to be in a school other than the one at which they are enrolled. The federated governing board has provided transport for some pupils to move between the schools involved in the federation.

The federated governing board proposes to change the way it operates the schools following advice from the Council. The proposed changes will formalise the federation’s organisational structure and will ensure that the schools comply with Government regulations about School Admissions and Registration.

The federated governing board would like to confirm that the proposals will result in only minimal impact upon the way in which pupils are taught in each school, and that they will work closely with pupils and parents to implement them.

Why is a change required?

During summer 2024, the Council received legal advice that the model that had been established by the federation was not compliant with the provisions of the Education Act 1996 and the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 which govern the arrangements for school admissions and registration. The advice, which was partly informed by information provided by the Department for Education (DfE), noted that pupils are required to receive their education at the school at which they are registered.

This advice means that the current organisational arrangements within the federation are not compliant with the regulations and that the Federated Governing Board needs to implement a change so that the arrangements become compliant.

The Council advised the federated governing board of possible solutions/ restructure options, set out below, which the federated governing board has carefully considered.

Following its consideration of the options the federated governing board has submitted proposals for the closure of West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School and for the establishment of separate infant and junior schools and believes that this option will enable to best meet the needs of the community and to continue to provide a high standard of education to pupils.

In order that it can do this, the Council is required to follow a statutory process that includes this period of consultation.

You are encouraged to give your views on the proposals.

Summary of the options considered

The federated governing board reviewed each of the options and considered a range of criteria, including the potential impact upon teaching and learning, management and financial implications prior to reaching a conclusion about its preferred option. The table below provides a summary of the options, the issues involved and of the federated governing board’s conclusion: -

Description	Why was the option Discounted or Recommended?	Result
1.Continue as three separate primary schools.	The federated governing board did not consider there to be sufficient pupils on roll at the schools for this to be a viable option.	Discounted
2. Become one primary school on one of the sites.	The federated governing board concluded that there would be insufficient space on one school site for the full age range, including nursery provision.	Discounted.
3. Become one school across two or three sites.	Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified that this option would result in a significant reduction in the revenue received compared to that currently received by the federation and considered that that would have a detrimental impact upon the schools if it were to be pursued.	Discounted.
4. Restructure as separate infant and junior schools and close one school	Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified this option as providing the most sustainable solution. It concluded that the option would enable the current efficiencies associated with the federation to be maintained, without the significant financial impact associated with Option 3 above. The federated governing board considered that this option would improve education of children in their peer groups by enabling classes with a narrower age range than Option 1 above, and that it provided a more financially viable option than 3 above. The federated governing board concluded that it should propose that West Burton CofE (VC) Primary School should be closed, and that the proposed Infants and Junior Schools should be established at the other two sites. The federated governing board noted a risk arising from the Home to School Travel Policy such that, if a joint catchment area is served, then for some pupils the infant or junior schools may not be the nearest suitable school to their home address for travel eligibility purposes.	The federated governing board requested that the Council consider a number of linked proposals arising from their conclusion and, if approved, to undertake the required statutory processes to enable them to be implemented.

The Federated Governing Board’s Proposal

After careful consideration of all the options, the federated governing board requested that the Council consult on their proposals to restructure the federation into separate infant and junior schools.

The federated governing board’s proposal is:-

· That West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School should be closed with effect from 31 March 2026 (this is detailed further below, in the next section)

· That the age range of Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School should be changed from 3-11 to 3-7, and that the school becomes Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Infant and Nursery School

· That the age range of Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Primary School should be changed from 4-11 to 7-11, and that the school becomes Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Junior School

· That the two remaining schools should have a shared catchment area that comprises an amalgamation of the current catchment areas of the three schools.

· To establish a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 15 at each of the two schools

· That the proposal be implemented from 1 September 2026

The federated governing board have confirmed their intention to continue to operate as a federation. This will ensure that they continue to benefit from doing so, including through shared governance and leadership, enhanced educational opportunities and resource efficiency.

Should the proposal be implemented, the change would take effect from 1 September 2026.

The Proposed Closure of West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School is a rural school. The DfE’s guidance (Opening and closing maintained schools. Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers, October 2024) notes that decision makers are expected to adopt a presumption against the closure of rural schools. However, the guidance confirms that this does not mean that a rural school will never close but that the case for closure should be strong and clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area.

The school has a capacity for 51 pupils and there are currently 15 pupils on the school’s roll.

In 2013 Askrigg and Bainbridge schools formed a collaboration and in 2014 West Burton joined the collaboration. In 2016 the BAWB Federation was created and “BAWB” refers to the first letter of each school name. Due to the organisation arrangements that were implemented by the federation, 22 pupils received their education at the school and the remaining pupils were transported to the other schools within the federation, where they received their education alongside peers from other schools. West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School was last inspected by Ofsted in June 2023 which judged the overall effectiveness of the school to be Good.

The BAWB federated governing board temporarily suspended teaching at the West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School site with effect from 1 September 2024, and transported pupils registered at the school to either the Bainbridge or Askrigg sites, according to their age. This decision was taken because of the low numbers on the school roll, and because of issues associated with the transport of pupils between the various school sites, this included a loss of learning time within the school day. The federated governing board considered that the decision was necessary to ensure the continued provision of high-quality education within the federation.

There are currently 3 neighbouring schools located within 10 miles of West Burton Primary School, including the two federation schools at Askrigg and Bainbridge. Across the three schools there is a combined net capacity of 163 places. There is currently a total of 65 surplus places.

As noted above, the federated governing board’s proposal regarding the closure of West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School forms part of a series of linked proposals which includes a proposal for the school’s catchment area to be combined with those of Bainbridge and Askrigg.

The council will engage with the parents of all pupils who are registered on West Burton’s roll to discuss the requirement for them to apply for an alternative school place should a closure be agreed, including if it is their intention to transfer to either of the proposed infant or junior schools in the federation.

The school site is wholly owned by a charitable trust and will revert to the trust if a decision is made for it to close.

Why are they proposing change now?

The executive headteacher and federated governing board have written out to parents about the changes that are being proposed. The proposals will ensure that the schools are compliant with the regulations and will also benefit pupils by building on the work that the federation has already undertaken. The federated governing board think that learning, and progress can be even better if each school is targeted to a Key Stage, with the infant school nurturing early childhood development through play and interactive exploration, and the junior school gradually preparing children for secondary school.

How would the schools be governed and managed?

Under the proposal the schools would continue to operate as a federation. The federation would continue to have a single federated governing board.

There would continue to be a single executive headteacher who would provide leadership in both schools. The current executive headteacher would continue in her role.

What would the schools look like?

Under the proposed new structure, children would be taught at the school in which they are registered within the federation. The following would also apply:

Transition

Transition between Key Stages would be marked since it would coincide with a transition between schools. It is considered that the federated schools would work together to deliver a smooth transition and help to ensure that the good progress made by children at Key Stage 1 is maintained and built upon at Key Stage 2.

Admissions

Should the proposal be implemented, places for infant children currently enrolled at Askrigg (VC) Primary School or West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School would be made available at Bainbridge Church of England Infant School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

Should the proposal be implemented, places for junior children currently enrolled at Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Primary School or West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School would be made available at Askrigg (VC) Junior School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

In the future, pupils on roll at Bainbridge Church of England Infant and Nursery School would not automatically transfer to Askrigg (VC) Junior School. It would be necessary to apply for a place at the junior school, for provision through to age 11. Parents of children attending the infant school would need to express a preference and when they are making their decision parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

Admissions to Bainbridge Church of England Infant and Nursery and Askrigg (VC) Junior schools would continue to be managed by the local authority in accordance with its admission policy for community and voluntary controlled schools.

Admissions Catchment Areas

Under the proposal, both the infant and junior schools would serve the catchment areas separately served by each of BAWB’s three separate primary schools. For this reason, the catchment areas would be merged, with each extended to include the others. These arrangements would be implemented from September 2026 only in the event of the infant/ junior restructure. The shared catchment area is shown on the map accompanying this consultation document.

Home to School Travel

Eligibility for assistance with home to school travel would be determined in accordance with the Council’s home to school travel policy, including any decision to provide discretionary eligibility linked to the federated governing board’s proposals.

It is proposed that special considerations or discretion be given to pupils already on roll at the point that consultation was requested in September 2025. It is proposed that the Council provides discretionary travel for children, already assessed as eligible for travel and on roll at schools on 1 September 2026, within the Federation schools for the duration of their education at the schools within the same federation, subject to there being no change in their circumstances. This will enable the schools to move to compliant arrangements and would be a time limited discretionary provision so that children already on roll could maintain continuity of education within the federations that they are already registered, in the event that the school organisation proposals result in them having to move to a different school within the federation due to the age range changes. An example would be a current Y1 child who attends a primary school but who is required to move to an infant school for Y2 before returning to the junior school (formerly the primary) for Y3 to Y6 – even if the infant school is not the nearest suitable school at the time of the transfer. This acknowledges the council’s commitment to continue eligibility under the 2019 policy for children in schools before September 2024.

Any new applications for assistance with home to school travel to either school received after 1 September 2026 would only be considered under the current home to school travel policy, unless part of a linked proposal that is decided by the Council.

Religious Designation

Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Primary and Nursery School is denominational, and the infant school would continue as a school with a religious designation. The Diocese plays an active part in the life of the BAWB Federation. As Church of England schools, the school organisation proposals for Bainbridge and West Burton would also require approval from the Diocesan Board of Education.

Learning and Progress

The federated governing board has confirmed that pupils would be in class groups with their peers. The proposals of separate infant and junior schools share the benefit of greater numbers of children being together in similar age groups and curriculum groups.

The schools would aim to have integrated arrangements for the assessment of learning, including recording of progress and transition across the infant and junior schools. As now, each separate school would have its own Ofsted inspection and its own budget. With the agreement of the governing board and approval of local authority officers,schools within federations can continue to request to amalgamate budgets.

Finance

Capital Position

Capital investment is not included within the proposal.

Revenue Position

School budgets are funded largely by pupil numbers so the proposal would not lead to an increase in revenue funding. The school organisation proposal of infant and junior schools provides the same level of funding across the federation as that currently received by the separate schools with the lump sum funding retained for each school. In an amalgamation of two schools (Option 3 above), one school’s lump sum would cease and whilst an amalgamated school across two sites may receive split site funding, this would be a reduced funding amount compared to the lump sum funding for the two schools. Under the BAWB proposal all funding for West Burton CE VC Primary School would cease.

Federated governing boards can request to amalgamate their individual school budgets; these arrangements could continue under the infant and junior school proposals.

Based on the proposal taking effect September 2026, and other things being equal, the federated governing board has determined the optimum funding position, based on best estimates of revenue funding for each financial year, for the individual schools within the federation. Irrespective of this school organisation proposal, the federation governing boards are continuously required to oversee financial management, and this includes considering efficiency actions where improvements are identified as being necessary in the school financial forecast.

Pupil Numbers

The Published Admission Number (PAN) is the number of school places that the admission authority must offer in each relevant age group of a school. The relevant age group is the age group at which pupils are normally admitted to the school e.g. Reception for a primary school or infant school, and Year 3 for a junior school.

As at the May 2025 pupil census there were 44 pupils registered at Bainbridge Church of England Primary School, 14 pupils registered at West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School and 33 pupils registered at Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Primary School. These numbers do not reflect pupils being educated at the three schools, since they are grouped together by year group, irrespective of the school in which they are registered.

Based on the May 2025 pupils census and projected pupil numbers in 2025/6, including pupils from new open market housing, the forecast pupil numbers in the proposed re-organised Infant and Junior schools, excluding nursery pupils, are set out below:

	2026/27		2027/28
Year	Bainbridge Infant	Askrigg Junior	Bainbridge Infant	Askrigg Junior
Reception	11		11
Year 1	10		11
Year 2	5		10
Year 3		16		5
Year 4		12		16
Year 5		10		12
Year 6		10		10

Total	26*	48	32*	43

Potential 9 further pupils from 35 houses with existing permissions and 35 Local Plan houses					+9

Based on May 2025 school census and assumes all pupils currently enrolled at West Burton CE transfer to Askrigg or Bainbridge

*Not including nursery pupils

Admission Number

Currently, the PAN of Bainbridge Church of England Primary School is 12, the PAN of West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School is 12 and the PAN at Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Primary School is 12. Given the pupil forecast of 11 Reception pupils across the Federation, it is not proposed to combine these individual PANs to make a combined PAN of 36. Instead, it is proposed to increase the PANs at the retained Askrigg and Bainbridge sites to 15 allowing choice for parents and accommodating all children within the buildings, which have net capacities of 79 and 84 places respectively. The proposed PANs of 15 would accommodate combining three Reception intakes and takes account of future pupil projections.

School Place Sufficiency

It is important to ensure sufficient school places in the local area. Both schools are in the sparsely populated Outer Wensleydale school place planning area. Should all of the proposals be implemented then there would continue to be a surplus of school places in the area.

Buildings

There is no building work planned to either Askrigg or Bainbridge schools as part of this proposal. There would be no necessity for landlord consent for a change of age range at Askrigg. The landlord, Yorebridge Educational Foundation, recently signed a lease agreement with NYC from 1/04/2024 – 31/03/2049. ‘The Authorised Use’ of the premises is educational use only, with no specific mention of age-range.

The school building at West Burton would no longer be used by the federation if the proposed closure of the school was implemented. The West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School site is managed but not owned by the Council. The school site is wholly owned by a charitable trust and will revert to the trust if a decision is made for it to close.

Staff

A separate consultation process, including a staff meeting, is running in parallel with this consultation.

Who are we consulting?

Copies of this consultation document have been sent to all parents of pupils and to staff at the schools. It has also been distributed to neighbouring schools, councillors, parish councils, professional associations and the local MP.

Your views are important and your response to the consultation will be published on North Yorkshire Council’s website to inform the decision-making process.

Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

What happens next?

If the decision is taken to consult further, then statutory notices would be published in the local press. These notices, alongside the required statutory proposals, would provide four weeks for further representations to be made. A final decision would then be taken by North Yorkshire Council’s Executive and, if agreed, the proposal would be implemented from 1 September 2026.

Anticipatedkey dates

All dates are subject to approvals at each stage.

Consultation opens	22 Sept 2025
Public meeting	Wed 8 Oct 6pm at Askrigg Primary School, Yorebridge, Askrigg, DL8 3BJ
Consultation closes	7 Nov 2025
North Yorkshire Council’s Executive considers consultation responses	16 Dec 2025
Statutory Notices published (4 weeks for representations to be made)	12 January – 6 February 2026
Final decision by North Yorkshire Council’s Executive Council’s Executive	17 March 2026
Proposed implementation date	1 September 2026

How to respond

Your views about this proposal are welcomed. You can either complete and return theattached response sheet or submit an online response.

Paper responses should be returned to North Yorkshire Council at the address below:

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

BAWB Schools Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Online responses may be submitted by following this link:

BAWB schools consultation survey

The closing date for responses is 5pm on 7 November 2025

All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by the Council’s Executive on 16 December 2025.

Responses to the consultation will be published on the Council’s website. Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

BAWB (Bainbridge, Askrigg and West Burton) Schools Federation.

This is a consultation on proposals to change the age ranges of Bainbridge Church of England (VC) Primary School and Askrigg (VC) Primary School, and to close West Burton Church of England (VC) Primary School from 1 September 2026.

We are collecting this information for the purpose of gathering views on the proposal. (Your personal data will not be published or passed to any other organisation unless a legal obligation compels us to do so. Reading our Privacy Notice will help you understand how and why we process your personal data. www.northyorks.gov.uk/privacy-notices )

Do you have any comments about these proposals?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the proposal to merge the admissions catchment areas?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the proposed PANs (Published Admission Numbers)?

What is your interest/status? (Parent / Governor / Teacher / Community / Other)
Please state

Name of school:

(if applicable)

To confirm your proximity to school and to prevent duplicate responses we are asking you to provide your name and address. This information will be removed from any analysis or reports.
Name:
Address:
Postcode:

To help us assess whether we have provided clear information, please let us know whether you found this consultation easy to understand? Yes / No

Please send this response sheet to the following “FREEPOST” address. You do not need to use a postage stamp.

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

BAWB Schools

Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Or to submit your response online go to:

BAWB schools consultation survey

To be received by no later than 5pm on 7 November 2025

Reeth and Gunnerside Schools Federation

Proposals by the Federated Governing Board to –

Change the age ranges of:

1. Reeth Community Primary School to an age range of 3-7 and that it becomes Reeth Community Infant School; and

2. Gunnerside Methodist (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School to an age range of 7-11 and that it becomes Gunnerside Methodist (Voluntary Controlled) Junior School

September 2025

Proposals by the federated governing board to restructure the federation into separate infant and junior schools – with Reeth Community Primary School becoming an infant school (with an age range of 3-7) and Gunnerside Methodist (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School becoming a junior school (with an age range of 7-11) from September 2026

Reeth Community Primary and Gunnerside Methodist (VC) Primary Schools are separate schools. The schools work together in a federation under the governance of a single federated governing board. This arrangement has ensured that good practice in both schools is shared. The federation’s governors have agreed to ask North Yorkshire Council to restructure the federation by changing the age ranges of both schools.

The federated governing board and North Yorkshire Council have agreed to consult stakeholders on a proposal to create separate infant and junior schools serving children aged 3 to 11, from 1 September 2026. Reeth Community Primary School would become an infant school with an age range of 3-7 years and Gunnerside Methodist (VC) Primary School would become a junior school with an age range of 7-11 years.

It is proposed that the two schools will restructure from 1 September 2026 and that the newly organised schools will subsequently be called Reeth Community Infant School and Gunnerside Methodist (VC) Junior School.

Please take time to look at the proposals, and then send us your views by the closing date on 7 November 2025. We look forward to hearing from you.

There will be a public meeting on:

Tuesday 14 October at 6 pm

at Gunnerside Methodist Primary School, Gunnerside, Richmond DL11 6LE

Background

The villages of Reeth and Gunnerside and the areas of Swaledale directly around them are currently served by two separate small primary schools. A single federated governing board is responsible for the governance of both Reeth Community Primary School and Gunnerside Methodist (VC) Primary School, and an executive headteacher works with the federated governing board to make sure that good standards of teaching and learning are available for all pupils.

The current structure of the federation was established as a proactive response to the low numbers of pupils in both schools and has enabled the federation to provide sustainable education to pupils within both catchment areas and involve pupils of a similar age from across the federation being taught together in single classes. This means that, although parents/carers select at which school to enrol their children, the federated governing board has arranged the education of some of the federation’s pupils to be in a school other than the one at which they are enrolled. The federated governing board has provided transport for some pupils to move between the schools involved in the federation.

The federated governing board proposes to change the way it operates the two schools following advice from the Council. The proposed changes will formalise the federation’s organisational structure and will ensure that the schools comply with Government regulations about School Admissions and Registration.

Why is a change required?

This advice means that the current organisational arrangements within the federation are not compliant with the regulations and that the federated governing board needs to implement a change so that the arrangements become compliant.

The Council advised the federated governing board of possible solutions / restructure options, set out below, which the federated governing board has carefully considered.

Following its consideration of the options, the federated governing board has submitted proposals for the establishment of separate infant and junior schools and believes that this option will enable them to best meet the needs of the community and to continue to provide a high standard of education to pupils.

In order that it can do this, the Council is required to follow a statutory process that includes this period of consultation.

You are encouraged to give your views on the proposals.

Summary of the options considered

Description	Why was the option Discounted or Recommended?	Conclusion
1. Continue as two separate primary schools	The federated governing board did not consider there to be sufficient pupils on roll at either school for this to be a viable option.	Discounted
2. Become one primary school on one of the sites	The federated governing board concluded that there would be insufficient space on one school site for the full age range.	Discounted
3. Become one school across two sites	Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified that this option would result in a significant reduction in the revenue received compared to that currently received by the federation and considered that that would have a detrimental impact upon the schools if it were to be pursued.	Discounted
4. Restructure as separate infant and junior schools.	Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified this option as providing the most sustainable solution. It concluded that the option would enable the current efficiencies associated with the federation to be maintained, without the significant financial impact associated with Option 3 above. The federated governing board considered that this option would improve education of children in their peer groups by enabling classes with a narrower age range than Option 1 above, and that it provided a more financially viable option than Option 3 above. The federated governing board noted a risk arising from the Home to School Transport Policy such that, if a joint catchment area is served, then for some pupils the infant or junior schools may not be the nearest suitable school to their home address for travel eligibility purposes.	The federated governing board requested that the Council consider a number of linked proposals arising from their conclusion and, if approved, to undertake the required statutory process to enable them to be implemented.

The Federated Governing Board’s Proposal

After careful consideration of all the options, the federated governing board requested that the Council consult on their proposal to restructure the federation into separate infant and junior schools.

The federated governing board’s proposal is:-

· That the age range of Reeth Community Primary School be changed to from 3-11 to 3-7, and that the school becomes Reeth Community Infant School

· That the age range of Gunnerside Methodist VC Primary School be changed from 4-11 to 7-11, and that the school becomes Gunnerside Methodist (Voluntary Controlled) Junior School

· That the schools would have a shared catchment area, comprising an amalgamation of the existing schools’ current catchment areas; and

· The Local Authority approves through its discretion a ‘nearest gate in the federation’ policy for home school transport, which would be conditional upon the federation continuing to provide support with inter-school transport where that is required.

· To establish a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 15 at each of the two schools

· That the proposal be implemented from 1 September 2026

Should the proposal be implemented, the change would take effect from 1 September 2026.

Why are they proposing change now?

The executive headteacher and federated governing board have written out to parents about the changes that are being proposed. The proposals will ensure that the schools are compliant with the regulations and will also benefit pupils by building on the work that the federation has already undertaken. The federated governing board think that learning and progress can be even better if each school is targeted to a Key Stage, with the infant school nurturing early childhood development through play and interactive exploration, and the junior school gradually preparing children for secondary school.

How would the schools be governed and managed?

Under the proposal the schools would continue to operate as a federation. The federation would continue to have a single federated governing board.

There would continue to be a single executive headteacher who would provide leadership in both schools. The current executive headteacher would continue in his role.

What would the schools look like?

Under the proposed new structure, children would be taught at the school in which they are registered within the federation. The following would also apply:

Transition

Transition between Key Stages would be marked, since it would coincide with a transition between schools. It is considered that the federated schools would work together to deliver a smooth transition and help to ensure that the good progress made by children at Key Stage 1 is maintained and built upon at Key Stage 2.

Admissions

Should the proposal be implemented, places for infant children currently enrolled at Gunnerside Methodist VC Primary School would be made available at Reeth Community Infant School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

Should the proposal be implemented, places for junior children currently enrolled at Reeth Community Primary School would be made available at Gunnerside Methodist VC Junior School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

In the future, pupils on roll at Reeth Community Infant School would not automatically transfer to Gunnerside Methodist (VC) Junior School. It would be necessary to apply for a place at the junior school, for provision through to age 11. Parents of children attending the infant school would need to express a preference and when they are making their decision parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

Admissions to Reeth Community and Gunnerside Voluntary Controlled schools would continue to be managed by the local authority in accordance with its admission policy for community and voluntary controlled schools.

Admissions Catchment Areas

Under the proposal, both the infant and junior schools would serve the catchment areas which are currently separately served by each primary school. For this reason, the catchment areas would be merged, with each extended to include the other. The shared catchment areas are shown on the maps accompanying this consultation document. These arrangements would be implemented from September 2026 only in the event of the infant / junior restructure. The shared catchment area is shown on the map accompanying this consultation document.

Home to School Travel

An example would be a current Y1 child who attends a primary school but who is required to move to an infant school for Y2 before returning to the junior school (formerly the primary) for Y3 to Y6 – even if the infant school is not the nearest suitable school at the time of the transfer. This acknowledges the council’s commitment to continue eligibility under the 2019 policy for children in schools before September 2024.

In this case, for pupils who are admitted to the schools after 1 September 2026 it is proposed that the Council adopts a ‘nearest gate in the federation’ policy for home to school transport, which would be conditional upon the federation continuing to provide support with inter-school transport where that is required.

An example in the future would be a Y2 child with eligibility for assistance with home to school travel would be provided with assistance with travel to Gunnerside Methodist (Voluntary Controlled) Junior School, if that was their nearest suitable school and the federation governors have committed to arranging travel between schools so the child could be transported to the federation school they are registered, namely Reeth Infant School.

Religious Designation

Gunnerside is a denominational school. Under the proposal, the junior school would continue with a Methodist religious designation. The Methodist Church plays an active part in the life of the school. As a Methodist school, the school organisation proposals for Gunnerside would also require approval from the Methodist Schools Team.

Learning and Progress

The schools would aim to have integrated arrangements for the assessment of learning, including recording of progress and transition across the infant and junior schools. As now, each separate school would have its own Ofsted inspection and its own budget. With the agreement of governors and approval of local authority officers, schools within federations can continue to request to amalgamate budgets.

Finance

Capital Position

Capital investment is not included within the proposal.

Revenue Position

Federated governing boards can request to amalgamate their individual school budgets; these arrangements could continue under the infant and junior school proposals.

Based on the proposal taking effect from September 2026, and other things being equal, the federated governing board has determined the optimum funding position, based on best estimates of revenue funding for each financial year for the individual schools within the federation. Irrespective of this school organisation proposal, the federation governing boards are continuously required to oversee financial management, and this includes considering efficiency actions where improvements are identified as being necessary in the school financial forecast.

Pupil Numbers

There are 35 pupils registered at Gunnerside Methodist VC Primary School and 58 pupils registered at Reeth Community Primary School.

These numbers do not reflect pupils in the two schools, since they are taught together by age group, irrespective of the school in which they are registered.

Based on projected pupil numbers in 2025/6, including pupils from new open market housing, the forecast pupil numbers in the proposed re-organised Infant and Junior schools are set out below

	2026/27		2027/28
Year	Reeth Infant	Gunnerside Junior	Reeth Infant	Gunnerside Junior
Reception	15		15
Year 1	18		15
Year 2	11		18
Year 3		17		11
Year 4		13		17
Year 5		6		13
Year 6		18		6
Total	44	54	48	47

Potential +9 pupils from 35 houses with existing permissions and 0 Local Plan houses					+9

* Excluding nursery pupils and based on May 2025 school census

Admission Number

Currently, the PAN of Gunnerside is 7 and the PAN of Reeth is 8. As part of the reorganisation proposals, it is proposed to increase the PANs of both schools to 15. The proposed PANs of 15 would accommodate combining two Reception intakes and take account of future pupil projections. However, we are consulting on this aspect of the proposal and ask for your view in the response form.

School Place Sufficiency

It is important to ensure sufficient school places in the local area. Both schools are in the Outer Swaledale school place planning area and there is a general surplus of spaces in the locality.

Buildings

There is no building work planned to either Reeth or Gunnerside schools as part of this proposal. The main school building at Gunnerside is owned by the Gunnerside Methodist School Trustees and so there will be a requirement to gain their consent to the proposal.

Staff

A separate consultation process, including a staff meeting, is running in parallel with this consultation.

Who are we consulting?

This consultation is being undertaken as part of a statutory process that is set by the Department for Education.

Copies of this consultation document have been sent to all parents of pupils and to staff at the two schools. It has also been distributed to neighbouring schools, councillors, parish councils, professional associations and the local MP.

Your views are important and your response to the consultation will be published on North Yorkshire Council’s website to inform the decision-making process.

Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

What happens next?

Anticipatedkey dates

All dates are subject to approvals at each stage.

Consultation opens	22 Sept 2025
Public meeting at the school	Tues 14th October at 6pm at Gunnerside Methodist Primary School
Consultation closes	7 Nov 2025
North Yorkshire Council’s Executive considers consultation responses	16 Dec 2025
Statutory Notices published (4 weeks for representations to be made)	12 January – 6 February 2026
Final decision by North Yorkshire Council’s Executive Council’s Executive	17 March 2026
Proposed implementation date	1 September 2026

How to respond

Your views about this proposal are welcomed. You can either complete and return theattached response sheet or submit an online response.

Paper responses should be returned to North Yorkshire Council at the address below:

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

Reeth and Gunnerside Schools Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Online responses may be submitted by following this link:

Reeth and Gunnerside consultation survey

The closing date for responses is 5pm on 7 November 2025

All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by the Council’s Executive on 16 December 2025.

Responses to the consultation will be published on the Council’s website. Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

Reeth and Gunnerside Schools Federation

This is a consultation on proposals to change the age ranges of Reeth Community Primary School and Gunnerside Methodist (VC) Primary School from 1 September 2026

Do you have any comments about the junior and infant school proposal?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the proposal to merge the two admissions catchment areas?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the increase in PAN (Published Admission Number) to 15?

What is your interest/status? (Parent / Governor / Teacher / Community / Other)
Please state

Name of school:

(if applicable)

To confirm your proximity to school and to prevent duplicate responses we are asking you to provide your name and address. This information will be removed from any analysis or reports.
Name:
Address:
Postcode:

To help us assess whether we have provided clear information, please let us know whether you found this consultation easy to understand? Yes / No

Please send this response sheet to the following “FREEPOST” address. You do not need to use a postage stamp.

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

Reeth and Gunnerside Schools

Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Or to submit your response online go to:

Reeth and Gunnerside consultation survey

To be received by no later than 5pm on 7 November 2025

Federation of Middleham (VA) and Spennithorne (VC) Church of England Primary Schools

Proposals by the Federated Governing Board to –

Change the age ranges of: -

1. Spennithorne Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School to an age range of 4-7 and that it becomes Spennithorne Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Infant School; and

2. Middleham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School to an age range of 7-11 and that it becomes Middleham Church of England (VA) Junior School; and

3. To change the category of Spennithorne Church of England Infant School from Voluntary Controlled to Voluntary Aided

September 2025

Proposals by the federated governing board to restructure the federation into separate infant and junior schools – with Spennithorne Church of England (VC) Primary School becoming an infant school (with an age range of 4-7) and Middleham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School becoming a junior school (with an age range of 7-11) from September 2026

Spennithorne Church of England (VC) and Middleham Church of England (VA) Primary Schools are separate schools. The schools work together in a federation under the governance of a single federated governing board. This arrangement has ensured that good practice in both schools is shared. The federation’s governors have agreed to ask North Yorkshire Council to restructure the federation by changing the age ranges of both schools.

The federated governing board and North Yorkshire Council have agreed to consult stakeholders on a proposal to create separate infant and junior schools serving children aged 4 to 11, from 1 September 2026. Spennithorne Church of England (VC) Primary School would become an infant school with an age range of 4-7 years and Middleham Church of England (VA) Primary School would become a junior school with an age range of 7-11 years.

The federated governing board has also requested that the category of Spennithorne Church of England School is changed from Voluntary Controlled (VC) to Voluntary Aided (VA) as part of these school organisation proposals.

It is proposed that the two schools will restructure from 1 September 2026 and that the newly organised schools will subsequently be called Spennithorne Church of England (VA) Infant School and Middleham Church of England (VA) Junior School.

Please take time to look at the proposals, and then send us your views by the closing date on 7 November 2025. We look forward to hearing from you.

There will be a public meeting on:

Thursday 2nd October 2025 at 6pm at

Middleham CE Primary School, Park Lane, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 4QX

Background

The villages of Spennithorne and Middleham and the areas of Wensleydale directly around them are currently served by two separate small primary schools. A single federated governing board is responsible for the governance of both Spennithorne Church of England (VC) Primary School and Middleham Church of England (VA) Primary School, and an executive headteacher works with the federated governing board to make sure that good standards of teaching and learning are available for all pupils.

The current structure of the federation was established as a proactive response to the low numbers of pupils in both schools enabling the federation to provide sustainable education to pupils within both catchment areas and involve pupils of a similar age from across the federation being taught together in single classes. This means that, although parents/carers select at which school to enrol their children, the federated governing board has arranged the education of some of the federation’s pupils to be in a school other than the one at which they are enrolled. The federated governing board has provided transport for some pupils to move between the schools involved in the federation.

Why is a change required?

The Council advised the federated governing board of possible solutions / restructure options, set out below, which the federated governing board has carefully considered.

Following its consideration of the options the federated governing board has submitted proposals for the establishment of separate infant and junior schools and believes that this option will enable them to best meet the needs of the community and to continue to provide a high standard of education to pupils.

In order that it can do this, the Council is required to follow a statutory process that includes this period of consultation.

You are encouraged to give your views on the proposals.

Summary of the options considered

Description	Why was the option Discounted or Recommended?	Conclusion
1.Continue as two separate primary schools.	The federated governing board did not consider there to be sufficient pupils on roll at either school for this to be a viable option.	Discounted
2. Become one primary school on one of the sites.	The federated governing board concluded that there would be insufficient space on one school site for the full age range.	Discounted.
3. Become one school across two sites. .	Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified that this option would result in a significant reduction in the revenue received compared to that currently received by the federation and considered that that would have a detrimental impact upon the schools if it were to be pursued	Discounted.
4. Restructure as separate infant and junior schools.	Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified this option as providing the most sustainable solution. It concluded that the option would enable the current efficiencies associated with the federation to be maintained, without the significant financial impact associated with Option 3 above. The federated governing board considered that this option would improve education of children in their peer groups by enabling classes with a narrower age range than Option 1 above, and that it provided a more financially viable option than Option 3 above. The federated governing board noted a risk arising from the Home to School Transport Policy such that, if a joint catchment area is served, then for some pupils the infant or junior schools may not be the nearest suitable school to their home address for travel eligibility purposes.	The federated governing board requested that the Council consider a number of linked proposals arising from their conclusion and, if approved, to undertake the required statutory process to enable them to be implemented.

The Federated Governing Board’s Proposal

The federated governing board’s proposal is:-

· That the age range of Spennithorne Church of England (VC) Primary School be changed from 4-11 to 4-7, and that the school becomes Spennithorne Church of England Infant School

· That the age range of Middleham Church of England (VA) Primary School be changed from 4-11 to 7-11 and that the school becomes Middleham Church of England (VA) Junior School

· That that the category of Spennithorne Church of England School is changed from Voluntary Controlled (VC) to Voluntary Aided (VA)

· That the schools would have a shared catchment area, comprising an amalgamation of the existing schools’ current catchment areas

· To establish a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 20 at each of the two schools

· That the proposal be implemented from 1 September 2026

Should the proposal be implemented, the change would take effect from 1 September 2026.

Why are they proposing change now?

The executive headteacher and federated governing board have written out to parents about the changes that are being proposed. The proposals will ensure that the schools are compliant with the regulations and will also benefit pupils by building on the work that the federation has already undertaken. The federated governing board think that learning and progress can be even better if each school is targeted to a Key Stage, with the infant school nurturing early childhood development through play and interactive exploration, and the junior school gradually preparing children for secondary school.

How would the schools be governed and managed?

Under the proposal the schools would continue to operate as a federation. The federation would continue to have a single federated governing board.

There would continue to be a single executive headteacher who would provide leadership in both schools. The current executive headteacher would continue in their role.

What would the schools look like?

Under the proposed new structure, children would be taught at the school in which they are registered within the federation. The following would also apply:

Transition

Admissions

Should the proposal be implemented, places for infant children currently enrolled at Middleham Church of England (VA) Primary School would be made available at Spennithorne Church of England (VA) Infant School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

Should the proposal be implemented, places for junior children currently enrolled at Spennithorne Church of England (VC) Primary School would be made available at Middleham Church of England (VA) Junior School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

In the future, pupils on roll at Spennithorne Church of England (VA) Infant School would not automatically transfer to Middleham Church of England (VA) Junior School. It would be necessary to apply for a place at the junior school, for provision through to age 11. Parents of children attending the infant school would need to express a preference and when they are making their decision parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.

Proposal to change the category of Spennithorne Church of England School from Voluntary Controlled to Voluntary Aided

The federated governing board has requested that the category of Spennithorne Church of England School is changed from Voluntary Controlled to Voluntary Aided as part of these school organisation proposals.

Joint working with Middleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School could be enhanced should Spennithorne become a Voluntary Aided School due to greater alignment between the two schools. For example:

· the schools would have the same Religious Education syllabus enabling greater shared provision.

· the federated governing board would be the single employer of staff, making shared staffing arrangements in appropriate cases easier.

· the inspection processes under the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools framework would be more aligned.

As a Voluntary Aided School, the federated governing board would become the Admissions Authority and therefore be responsible for determining the school’s admission arrangements, with admissions applications continuing to be processed under North Yorkshire Council’s co-ordinated admissions scheme.

In a Voluntary Aided school, the federated governing board is the employer of all staff, rather than the local authority. Staff in Spennithorne would automatically transfer their employment on their existing terms and conditions from the local authority to the federated governing body under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE).

The local authority receives school condition allocation to invest in priorities across the schools for which they are responsible, including Voluntary Controlled Schools. As a Voluntary Aided school, Spennithorne would not look to the local authority for this funding: instead, the Diocese receives school condition allocation to distribute based on an assessment of priorities across the Voluntary Aided schools in the Diocese. As a Voluntary Aided school, Spennithorne would be responsible for making a 10 per cent statutory contribution to all capital works funded from school condition allocation funding or Devolved Formula Capital.

If Spennithorne CE changed category from a Voluntary Controlled to a Voluntary Aided school, there would be no change of ownership of the building. The landlord of Spennithorne School House is the Rector, Church Wardens and Trustees of School House Trust and the landlord of playing fields adjoining Spennithorne CE Primary School are the Trustees of the Ferrand Family Irrevocable Trust.

Admissions Catchment Areas

Home to School Travel

Religious Designation

Spennithorne and Middleham are denominational schools. Under the proposal, the infant and junior schools would continue with a Church of England religious designation. The Diocese plays an active part in the life of the schools. As Church of England schools, the school organisation proposals would also require approval from the Diocesan Board of Education.

Learning and Progress

The schools would aim to have integrated arrangements for the assessment of learning, including recording of progress and transition across the infant and junior schools. As now, each separate school would have its own Ofsted inspection and its own budget. With the agreement of governors and approval of local authority officers, schools within federations can continue to request to amalgamate budgets.

Finance

Capital Position

Capital investment is not included within the proposal.

Revenue Position

Federated governing boards can request to amalgamate their individual school budgets; these arrangements could continue under the infant and junior school proposals.

Based on the proposal taking effect from September 2026, and other things being equal, the federated governing board has determined the optimum funding position, based on best estimates of revenue funding for each financial year, for the individual schools within the federation. Irrespective of this school organisation proposal, the federation governing boards are continuously required to oversee financial management, and this includes considering efficiency actions where improvements are identified as being necessary in the school financial forecast.

Pupil Numbers

As at January 2025 there were 42 pupils registered at Spennithorne CE VC Primary School and 50 pupils registered at Middleham CE VA Primary School.

These numbers do not reflect pupils in the two schools, since they are taught together by age group, irrespective of the school in which they are registered.

Based on projected pupil numbers in 2025/6, including pupils from new open market housing, the forecast pupil numbers in the proposed re-organised Infant and Junior schools are set out below:

	2026/27		2027/28
Year	Spennithorne Infant	Middleham Junior	Spennithorne Infant	Middleham Junior
Reception	16		16
Year 1	15		16
Year 2	17		15
Year 3		15		17
Year 4		9		15
Year 5		17		9
Year 6		13		17

Total	48	54	47	58

Potential 19 further pupils from 76 houses with existing permissions					+19

Based on May 2025 school census

Admission Number

Currently, the PAN of Spennithorne is 13 and the PAN of Middleham is 15. It is proposed to increase the PANs at both schools to 20. The proposed PANs of 20 would accommodate combining two Reception intakes and take account of future pupil projections.

School Place Sufficiency

It is important to ensure sufficient school places in the local area. Both schools are in the sparsely populated Outer Wensleydale school place planning area and there are surplus spaces in the locality.

Staff

A separate consultation process, including a staff meeting, is running in parallel with this consultation.

Who are we consulting?

This consultation is being undertaken as part of a statutory process that is set by the Department for Education.

Your views are important and your response to the consultation will be published on North Yorkshire Council’s website to inform the decision-making process.

Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

What happens next?

Anticipatedkey dates

All dates are subject to approvals at each stage.

Consultation opens	22 Sept 2025
Public meeting at the school	2 Oct 2025 at 6pm at Middleham CE Primary School
Consultation closes	7 Nov 2025
North Yorkshire Council’s Executive considers consultation responses	16 Dec 2025
Statutory Notices published (4 weeks for representations to be made)	12 January – 6 February 2026
Final decision by North Yorkshire Council’s Executive Council’s Executive	17 March 2026
Proposed implementation date	1 September 2026

How to respond

Your views about this proposal are welcomed. You can either complete and return theattached response sheet or submit an online response.

Paper responses should be returned to North Yorkshire Council at the address below:

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

Middleham and Spennithorne Schools Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Online responses may be submitted by following this link:

Middleham and Spennithorne consultation survey

The closing date for responses is 5pm on 7 November 2025

All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by the Council’s Executive on 16 December 2025.

Responses to the consultation will be published on the Council’s website. Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

Federation of Middleham (VA) and Spennithorne (VC) Church of England Primary Schools.

This is a consultation on proposals to change the age ranges of Spennithorne Church of England (VC) Primary School and Middleham Church of England (VA) Primary School from 1 September 2026.

Do you have any comments about the junior and infant school proposal?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the proposal to change the category of Spennithorne from Voluntary Controlled to Voluntary Aided?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the proposal to merge the two admissions catchment areas?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the increase in PAN (Published Admission Number) to 20?

What is your interest/status? (Parent / Governor / Teacher / Community / Other)
Please state

Name of school:

(if applicable)

To confirm your proximity to school and to prevent duplicate responses we are asking you to provide your name and address. This information will be removed from any analysis or reports.
Name:
Address:
Postcode:

To help us assess whether we have provided clear information, please let us know whether you found this consultation easy to understand? Yes / No

Please send this response sheet to the following “FREEPOST” address. You do not need to use a postage stamp.

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

Middleham and Spennithorne Schools

Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Or to submit your response online go to:

Middleham and Spennithorne consultation survey

To be received by no later than 5pm on 7 November 2025

Synergy Schools Federation

Proposals by the Synergy Schools Federated Governing Board –

1. To Amalgamate Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School and Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

2. This would result in the technical closure of Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School; and

3. To create a single 4-11 primary school on both school sites through the enlargement of Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School, which would be renamed Leeming Church of England Primary School

Leeming and Londonderry and Aiskew Leeming Bar Schools

Synergy Schools Federation

September 2025

Proposal by the Synergy Schools Federated Governing Board to amalgamate Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School and Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School from 13 April 2026

Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School and Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School work together in the Synergy Schools Federation under the governance of a single federated governing board and this arrangement has ensured that good practice in both schools is shared. The federated governing board have agreed that amalgamating the two schools to create one school across two sites is the next logical step to take and have asked North Yorkshire Council to consult on the proposal.

Synergy Schools federated governing board and North Yorkshire Council have agreed to consult stakeholders on a proposal to create a single primary school serving children aged 4 to 11 and with a governor-led nursery for 2-4-year-olds. This amalgamated school would be created by the enlargement of Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (VC) Primary School and the associated technical closure of Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School. It is proposed that the two schools will amalgamate from 13 April 2026.

The single newly named Leeming Church of England Primary School would continue to work across both school sites.

Please take time to look at the proposals, and then send us your views by the closing date on 7 November 2025. We look forward to hearing from you.

There will be a public meeting on:

Wednesday 15 October 2025 at 6pm

At Aiskew Leeming Bar Primary School, 2 Leeming Lane, Leeming Bar, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 9AU

Background

The villages of Leeming and Londonderry, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar and the areas directly around them are served by two separate small primary schools. .

Aiskew, Leeming Bar Church of England Primary and Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary Schools are part of the Synergy Schools Federation, which is a federation of six primary schools within North Yorkshire. The federation is governed by a single federated governing board and leadership is provided by an executive headteacher. The schools, which have adjacent catchment areas serving the Leeming area, south of Bedale, joined the federation in 2024 and 2021 respectively. Both schools have low numbers of pupils on roll. Aiskew Leeming Bar has a net capacity of 103 places, with 47 pupils on roll in the May 2025 census, while Leeming and Londonderry has a net capacity of 56 places, with 24 pupils on roll in the May 2025 pupil census. Both operate similar two class structures that involve Reception and Key Stage 1 cohorts being educated in one class, and Key Stage 2 children in other classes.

Following the incorporation of Aiskew, Leeming Bar Church of England Primary School into the Synergy Federation work has been undertaken to improve the quality of the education provision within both schools and the federated governing board have undertaken consideration of alternative models for the organisation of the schools to allow for further improvement in learning.

The federated governing board would like to confirm that their aim is for the proposals to result in only a minimal impact upon the way in which pupils are taught in the school, and that they will work closely with pupils and parents to implement them.

Summary of the options considered

The federated governing board have considered the following options for the future organisation of Aiskew, Leeming Bar Church of England (VC) Primary School and Leeming and Londonderry Primary School: -

· Continue as two separate 4-11 primary schools with pupils receiving their education at the school at which they are registered

· Establishing one primary school at one of the existing school sites, eg close Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School.

· Establishing one primary school to operate from both existing sites

The table below provides a summary of the options, the issues involved and of the federated governing board’s conclusion:

Description	Why was the option Discounted or Recommended?	Result
1.Continue as two separate primary schools.	This option would involve all year groups, from Reception to Year 6, in both schools. An advantage of this option is that no parents are unsettled. However, pupils are taught in whole key stage classes, with multiple year groups in one class and learning with similar aged peers is not improved. Curriculum is more limited than in classes with smaller age-ranges. The federated governing board did not consider that there are sufficient pupils on roll at either school for this to be a viable option, and it was agreed that this would have the potential to have a negative impact upon the quality of the schools’ educational provision.	Discounted
2. Become one primary school on one of the sites.	This second option would involve the closure of one school Teaching all pupils in one building with larger peer groups would enable peer group teaching and selection of the site at Aiskew would give pupils better access to outside space. However, the federation board considered that there would not be adequate space on either site for the age range, which would now include nursery aged children. The option would also result in a significant reduction in the revenue received compared to that currently received by the federation which the governing board considered would have a detrimental impact. It would mean that a proposed new structure of four classes would not be affordable.	Discounted.
3. Become one school across two sites. .	This option involves amalgamating into a 4 –11 primary school, with a governor led nursery, across the two existing sites, with the technical closure of one school and the expansion onto an additional site of the other school. The federated governing board noted a joint catchment area could be served and that this option would gain split site funding which would result in a smaller reduction in revenue received compared to that lost in option 2. This would mean that the new class structure of four classes could be afforded. With only two-year groups in each class, the school could support a reduced number of year groups and a larger cohort size in each class. With the two sites there would be space to extend provision and run a pre-school.	The federated governing board requested that the Council consider a number of linked proposals arising from their conclusion and, if approved, to undertake the required statutory process to enable them to be implemented.

The Federated Governing Board’s Proposal

After careful consideration of all the options, the federated governing board requested that the Council consult on their proposals.

The federated governing board have proposed the following: -

· That Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School and Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School amalgamate with effect from 13 April 2026

· That this would be achieved through the technical closure of Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School and the expansion of Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School onto an additional site (the Leeming and Londonderry School site)

· That the school would have a single catchment area, comprising an amalgamation of the existing two schools’ current catchment areas

· To establish a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 15

· To establish a governor-led nursery for 2-4-year-old children.

· That, subject to a governing body process, the Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School would be called Leeming Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School.

The federated governing board have confirmed the intention that Leeming Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School will remain within the Synergy Federation.

Should the proposal be implemented, these changes would take effect from 13 April 2026.

The Proposed Technical Closure of Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School

Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School is a rural school. The DfE’s guidance (Opening and closing maintained schools. Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers, October 2024) notes that decision makers are expected to adopt a presumption against the closure of rural schools. However, the guidance confirms that this does not mean that a rural school will never close but that the case for closure should be strong and clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area.

The school has a capacity for 56 places, with 24 pupils on roll in the May 2025 pupil census.

As noted above, the federated governing board’s proposal regarding the closure of Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School forms part of a series of linked proposals which includes retaining the site for an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and a proposal for the school’s catchment area to be combined with the catchment area of Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (VC) Primary School. This decision was taken because of the low numbers on the school roll, a desire to provide sustainable classes of similar aged children, and because of issues associated with the transportation of pupils between the respective school sites. The federated governing board considered that the decision was necessary to ensure the continued provision of high-quality education within the federation.

There are 8 other primary schools within the Outer Bedale school place planning area. The table below shows that there is a general surplus of places across the locality.

DfE No.	Outer Bedale Primary School	Net Capacity	NOR 2025 - May	Position 2026/27	-/+ capacity (May 2025)
3001	Aiskew, Leeming Bar CE	103	47	49	56
3337	Burneston CE VA	133	117	137	16
3020	Crakehall CE	106	113	118	-7
2063	Hunton and Arrathorne CP	70	86	90	-16
2040	Leeming and Londonderry CP	56	24	26	32
2166	Leeming RAF CP	280	156	143	124
2133	Snape CP	52	30	25	22
3124	St Nicholas CE, West Tanfield	70	44	47	26
3119	Thornton Watlass CE	51	21	12	30
		921	638	647	283

The council will engage with the parents of all pupils who are registered on Leeming and Londonderry’s roll and there is no intention to cease to use the school site under this amalgamation proposal.

Why are they proposing change now?

The governing board believe that the proposed change will combine larger sustainable classes of similar-aged pupils, as described in Option 3 above. They believe the proposed change will build on the work of the Synergy Schools Federation already in place, address low numbers, and that learning can be even better if the classes in each school supports a reduced number of year groups and a larger cohort size.

Learning and progress in the primary school’s two sites

The federated governing board has confirmed that pupils would be in class groups with their peers. The proposal has the benefit of greater numbers of children being together in similar age groups and curriculum groups.

Under the proposed new structure, all children would be registered at Leeming Church of England (VC) Primary School, but the governor led nursery and Reception children would initially be taught in the EYFS classes at the current Leeming and Londonderry site. Another 3 classes, consisting of Year 1 & 2 children in one class, Years 3 & 4 in another, and Y5 & 6 children in another, would be taught at the current Aiskew Leeming Bar site The single primary school would continue to be funded and supported by the local authority with staff employed by the local authority.

Pupils who transfer between the two sites will be supported through a managed transition process.

Under the amalgamation proposal there would also be the flexibility to change the age of transfer between the two sites at the beginning of an academic year, should pupil numbers dictate. However, all pupils will be supported at the point that they are required to transition between the two sites.

Currently each school has a separate Ofsted inspection, but the single school would have a single Ofsted inspection.

An important part of the proposal is that the single primary school would remain part of Synergy Schools, under a single federated governing board and would continue to be led by an executive headteacher. Admissions to the school would continue to be managed by the local authority in accordance with its admission policy for community and voluntary controlled schools.

Admissions Catchment Area

Under the proposal, the single primary school would serve the two catchment areas currently separately served by each primary school. For this reason, the catchment areas would be merged, with each extended to include the other. These arrangements would be implemented from April 2026 only in the event of the amalgamation restructure and we are consulting on this aspect of the proposal.

Home to School Travel

Eligibility for assistance with home to school travel will be determined in accordance with North Yorkshire Council’s Home to School Travel Policy.

All existing pupils who have eligibility for assistance will retain their eligibility subject to there being no change in their individual circumstances.

Religious Designation

Aiskew, Leeming Bar Church of England Primary School would be the continuing school. As a result, the amalgamated school would retain its existing Church of England denominational status and would be a Voluntary Controlled school with a Church of England designation.

The federated governing board have undertaken informal consultation with the Diocese of Leeds during their consideration of the options, and the Diocese will be consulted as part of this consultation.

Pupil Numbers and the Planned Admission Number

The Council has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places available locally to meet the requirements of pupils locally. Utilising projected pupil numbers in 2025/6, including pupils from new open market housing, Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England Primary School is forecast to have a pupil roll of 47 while Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School is forecast a pupil roll of approximately 24 pupils. The schools have net capacities of 103 and 56 respectively and 77 and 29 pupils currently living within their respective catchments.

Currently, the PAN of Aiskew Leeming Bar is 14 and the PAN of Leeming and Londonderry is 8. It is proposed to that the PAN of the amalgamated school will be 15. This variation is to accommodate combining two Reception intakes, planning for class size 30 legislation in the combined years 1 and 2 class, and takes account of future pupil projections. However, we are consulting on this aspect of the proposal and ask for your view in the response form.

Finance

Capital Position

Capital investment is not included within the proposal.

Revenue Position

School budgets are funded largely by pupil numbers so amalgamating the schools would not lead to an increase in revenue funding. The combined revenue funding would be smaller because the lump-sum would cease for Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School following amalgamation, although transitional funding will be provided during the initial period of the amalgamation. Transitional funding protection arrangements allow for both lump-sums to be retained from the point of amalgamation for the remainder of the financial year that amalgamation takes place and provide 85% of the two lump-sums received in the next financial year.

Based on the amalgamation taking effect on 13 April 2026 (ie the start of 2026/27 financial year), and other things being equal, the Governing Board has determined the optimum funding position, based on best estimates of pupil revenue funding for each financial year, the retention of lump sums for that financial year, the amalgamated school retaining 85% of their lump sums for the financial year 2027/28, and split site funding being subsequently available.

Staff

A separate consultation process, including a staff meeting, is running in parallel with this consultation.

Who are we consulting?

Your views are important and your response to the consultation will be published on North Yorkshire Council’s website to inform the decision-making process. Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

What happens next?

Anticipatedkey dates

All dates are subject to approvals at each stage.

All dates are subject to approvals at each stage.Consultation opens	22 Sept 2025
Public meeting at Aiskew Leeming Bar Primary School	15 Oct 2025 at 6pm
Consultation closes	7 Nov 2025
North Yorkshire Council’s Executive considers consultation responses	16 Dec 2025
Statutory Notices published (4 weeks for representations to be made)	12 January – 6 February 2026
Final decision by North Yorkshire Council’s Executive Council’s Executive	17 March 2026
Proposed implementation date	Monday 13 April 2026

How to respond

Your views about this proposal are welcomed. You can either complete and return theattached response sheet or submit an online response.

Paper responses should be returned to North Yorkshire Council at the address below:

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

Leeming Schools Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Online responses may be submitted by following this link:

Leeming schools consultation survey

The closing date for responses is 5pm on 7 November 2025

All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by the Council’s Executive on 16 December 2025.

Responses to the consultation will be published on the Council’s website. Your personal details, and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.

Leeming and Londonderry and Aiskew Leeming Bar Synergy Schools Federation.

This is a consultation on proposals to amalgamate Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School and Aiskew Leeming Bar Church of England (VC) Primary School from 13 April 2026.

Do you have any comments about the proposal?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the proposal to merge the two admissions catchment areas?

(Please do not disclose any personal information in your answer)

Do you have any comments about the increase in PAN (Published Admission Number) to 15?

What is your interest/status? (Parent / Governor / Teacher / Community / Other)

Please state

Name of school:

(if applicable)

To confirm your proximity to school and to prevent duplicate responses we are asking you to provide your name and address. This information will be removed from any analysis or reports.
Name:
Address:
Postcode:

To help us assess whether we have provided clear information, please let us know whether you found this consultation easy to understand? Yes / No

Please send this response sheet to the following “FREEPOST” address. You do not need to use a postage stamp.

FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS

Leeming Schools

Strategic Planning

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

DL7 8AE

Or to submit your response online go to:

Leeming schools consultation survey

To be received by no later than 5pm on 7 November 2025