Issue - meetings

Recommendations

i)                 Statutory proposals and notices be published on 22 May 2024 proposing to cease to maintain St Hilda’s Church of England VC Primary School with effect from 31 August 2024.

ii)        The proposals include that, in the event of closure, the catchment area currently served by St Hilda’s Church of England VC School will be split between Terrington CE VA Primary School, Helmsley Community Primary School and Husthwaite CE. The parishes of Gilling East, Grimstone, Cawton and Coulton would become part of the catchment area for Terrington Church of England. The parishes of Oswaldkirk and Stonegrave would become part of the catchment area for Helmsley Community Primary School. The parishes of Byland with Wass and Ampleforth would become part of the catchment area for Husthwaite Church of England

iii)    The Executive schedule taking a final decision on these proposals on 16 July 2024.

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director – Children’s and Young People’s Service providing details of the outcome of the public consultation carried out by the Council on the proposal to close St Hilda’s Ampleforth CE VC Primary School.  Authorisation was requested for the publication of proposals and statutory notices and to schedule taking a final decision on the proposal on 16 July 2024.

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson introduced the report and advised that on 17 January the governing body had resolved to commence consultation on the proposal to close the school due to low pupil numbers, the resulting finances and matters of future leadership.  Whilst the consultation had shown a great deal of local support for the school, low pupil numbers had led to the proposal at section 6 of the report that the school cease to be maintained from 31 August 2024 and that the catchment be split as outlined at paragraph 6.1.

Councillor Steve Mason was in attendance at the meeting and spoke in objection to the proposal requesting that consideration be given to finding ways to keep these small schools open.  The Corporate Director – Children’s and Young People’s Service advised that there was a surplus of school places in the county.  St Hilda’s would only have 10 pupils on the roll in September, whilst there were 94 children in the catchment area and the school had consistently been rated as good by Ofsted.  The community were choosing not to use this school as there were good schools elsewhere and the Corporate Director reported on which schools local children were attending.

Resolved (unanimously) – that:

i)       Statutory proposals and notices be published on 22 May 2024 proposing to cease to maintain St Hilda’s Church of England VC Primary School with effect from 31 August 2024.

ii)      The proposals include that, in the event of closure, the catchment area currently served by St Hilda’s Church of England VC School will be split between Terrington CE VA Primary School, Helmsley Community Primary School and Husthwaite CE. The parishes of Gilling East, Grimstone, Cawton and Coulton would become part of the catchment area for Terrington Church of England. The parishes of Oswaldkirk and Stonegrave would become part of the catchment area for Helmsley Community Primary School. The parishes of Byland with Wass and Ampleforth would become part of the catchment area for Husthwaite Church of England

iii)    The Executive schedule taking a final decision on these proposals on 16 July 2024.