Decision details
*Re-published: call-in no longer applies* Re: Drax Community Primary School
Decision Maker: Executive Member for Education, Learning & Skills
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
To approve public consultation on a proposal
that the County Council should cease to maintain Drax Community
Primary School with effect from 31 August 2017.
Reasons for the decision:
*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.*
Drax Community Primary School is a 4 -11 community primary school
in the Selby rural area. The school serves families living in the
village of Drax. It has a net capacity of 70 places based on an
annual published admission number of 10. Pupil numbers have been
falling, from 52 on roll in 2013/14 to 12 in 2016/17. The
significant recent drop in numbers has increased concerns around
the financial sustainability of the school.
In Autumn 2015 the governing body took the decision to request that
Drax Community Primary School become a sponsored academy with Ebor
Academy Trust alongside Camblesforth CP School. The Academy Order
was issued in January 2016 however during the summer term 2016 Ebor
Academy Trust imposed a pause on the conversion process due to the
falling roll and the projected non-viability of the school. After
discussion with Ebor and Department for Education representatives
the governing body approached Camblesforth Community Primary School
with a proposal for Federation between the two schools. However on
5 September 2016 the governing body of Camblesforth Community
Primary School, mindful of the projected pupil numbers, rejected
the proposal to federate.
In September 2016 it was confirmed there would be no reception aged
pupils entering the school in the current academic year, further
exacerbating governing body and local authority concerns about
viability. On 14 September 2016 the full governing body resolved
unanimously to ask the County Council to consider the future of the
school in light of the current pupil numbers and the lack of
progress in achieving any alternative structural solutions.
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.
Publication date: 06/05/2021
Date of decision: 18/10/2016