Issue - meetings

Recommendations: That:

i.     Statutory proposals and a statutory notice be published on 3 March 2022 proposing to amalgamate Grove Road and Woodfield Community Primary Schools, through the technical closure of Woodfield Community Primary School as a separate entity from 31 August 2022, and the enlargement of premises and expansion onto the Woodfield site of Grove Road Community Primary School from 1 September 2022.

ii.     A final decision on the proposals be scheduled for the Executive on 19 April 2022

Considered:

A report of the Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service presenting the outcome of the public consultation carried out by North Yorkshire County Council on the proposals to amalgamate Grove Road and Woodfield Community Primary Schools in Harrogate from 1 September 2022, and seeking authorisation to publish the statutory proposals, and to schedule taking a final decision on the proposals on 19 April 2022.

County Councillor Patrick Mulligan introduced the report and provided an overview of the background to the proposed amalgamation of Grove Road and Woodfield Community Primary Schools in Harrogate as detailed in the report.  He also provided an overview of the consultation process undertaken on the proposal to achieve the amalgamation through the technical closure of Woodfield Community Primary School as a separate entity from 31 August 2022, and the enlargement of Grove Road Community Primary School by expansion onto the Woodfield site from 1 September 2022.

County Councillor Paul Haslam as a local Councillor and governor of Woodfield Community Primary School read out a statement he had submitted prior to the meeting in which he expressed his support for the proposed amalgamation.

Executive Members noted the report and all voted in favour of the recommendations, and it was

Resolved – That it be recommended to the Chief Executive Officer that using his emergency delegated powers he approve:

i.     The publication of the statutory proposals and a statutory notice on 3 March 2022 proposing to amalgamate Grove Road and Woodfield Community Primary Schools, through the technical closure of Woodfield Community Primary School as a separate entity from 31 August 2022, and the enlargement of premises and expansion onto the Woodfield site of Grove Road Community Primary School from 1 September 2022.

ii.     The scheduling of a final decision on the proposals for the Executive on 19 April 2022.