Decision details

To approve public consultation on a proposal that the County Council should close Burnt Yates Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School from 31 August 2018.

*PLEASE NOTE This decision was originally published on or near the date of the decision and so call in no longer applies. It has been re-published as part of the change in committee management system that we use.*

Burnt Yates CE VA Primary School was placed in Special Measures following the Ofsted inspection that took place in December 2016. The Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) issued a Directive Academy Order on 30 January 2017 as the school was eligible for intervention (having been placed in special measures) under the Education and Inspections Act 2006. The Diocese began the process to find a suitable academy trust that might sponsor the school to become an academy. As required by the RSC, County Council officers provided information in the form of a viability assessment in April 2017. The officers’ conclusion was, on the basis that the total pupil roll could well fall into the high teens, that the school would not be viable as a standalone institution without some form of structural change such as academy conversion or amalgamation. No potential sponsor academy trust has been identified nor has it been possible to achieve amalgamation with another local school.

Having reviewed all current information, including the April viability assessment, and in response to the specific request from NYCC and Diocese the RSC wrote on 16 October 2017 to the DCS to confirm ‘after discussions with your officials and the Diocese, and after considering the financial position of the school, combined with a falling roll, unfortunately, I have concluded the school is unviable. I am, therefore, on behalf of the Secretary of State, revoking the Academy Order for Burnt Yates Church of England Voluntary Aided (Endowed) Primary School pursuant to section 5D Academies Act 2010. Where a school is deemed to be unviable, the expectation is that the Local Authority will take steps to close the school undergoing the statutory process to close a maintained ‘rural school’.

Under the arrangements agreed by The Executive on 25 September 2007, decisions to approve public consultation on school organisation proposals for which the decision maker is the Local Authority, will normally be taken by the Executive Members for Schools.

Possible amalgamation with Ripley Endowed CE Primary School has been explored and rejected following due diligence and financial modelling work.