Decision details

To approve public consultation on a proposal that the County Council should close Skipton Ings Community Primary and Nursery School from 31 December 2017.

*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.*

Skipton Ings Community Primary and Nursery School is facing multiple but not unrelated challenges around issues of educational standards, finance, pupil numbers, governance and staffing. The Shadow Governing Body have concluded that, with little prospect for improvement, they should ask the County Council to consider commencing consultation on a proposal to close the school. The school was judged by Ofsted as Inadequate in July 2013. The school has been re-inspected by Ofsted in October 2014 and November 2016 and on both inspections was judged as Requires Improvement. Governors and school leaders have made progress in very challenging circumstances but unless the school achieves significant progress in the next 18 months to achieve a ‘good’ outcome, it will be facing special measures and an academy order.

In considering this request, the Executive Member is also asked to note:

• the overall picture in terms of the sufficiency of schools places in Skipton town;
• that, in parallel with the consultation period, discussions with the Regional Schools Commissioner will continue around the potential for a high-quality academy sponsor to take up the future use of the Ings site for primary provision.

Under the arrangements agreed by Executive on 25 September 2007, school organisation decisions, for which the decision maker is the Local Authority, will normally be taken by the County Council’s Executive or, if there are no objections to the Statutory Notice, the decision is delegated to the Executive Members for Schools.

The Governors of the school examined two options:

• A ‘slimmed’ down Ings
or
• Closure proposal

Governors believe that continuing 'as is' is not conducive to providing the best for children. They also feel that a ‘slimmed’ down school would not give the capacity to offer a broad and balanced experience to the children or to continue to improve the school.