John Grainger, Author at The Stray Ferret

Health chief pledges to help patients at Harrogate NHS dentist

NHS dentistry provision was discussed at a meeting yesterday between Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Stephen Eames, the chief executive of the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

The issue was highlighted recently by the announcement that Chatsworth House dental practice on King’s Road in Harrogate was closing to NHS patients from December 1.

The meeting was a follow-up from a briefing this month which the ICB – a collaboration of health and care organisations tasked with improving the health and wellbeing of people in the region – arranged for all Humber and North Yorkshire MPs.

Mr Jones said:

“We have a short-term issue – one that I raised at Prime Minister’s Questions – about what happens when a practice suddenly closes to NHS patients as has happened here. We also have a medium-term issue about increasing NHS dentistry capacity. Mr Eames and I discussed both these issues.”

Chatsworth House Dental Clinic

The ICB told Mr Jones it is planning to redistribute the funding given to Chatsworth House to other local practices so that they can take on more patients. Patients affected will be contacted directly by the ICB to explain where their new practice will be.

According to a government briefing published in April 2023, total funding for NHS dental services in England fell by 8% in real terms between 2010 and 2022.

The crisis in NHS dental provision was highlighted by a YouGov poll in March. The survey found that more than a quarter of the UK population (27%) have not seen a dentist within the last two years, and one in five people (22%) are currently not even registered with a dentist.

Of those, 37% said it was because they couldn’t find an NHS dentist, and 23% said it was because they couldn’t afford to pay for treatment. One in 10 admitted to attempting their own dental work.

To help address the problem, the ICB is looking to increase NHS dental capacity locally through the rapid launch ‘Centres of Dental Development’, which are intended to support, develop and retain the dental workforce across the Humber and North Yorkshire.

Mr Jones said:

“It is good that the ICB are looking at the long-term sustainability of our dental service. This is a positive and constructive approach and I have asked that Harrogate, which is the largest town in North Yorkshire, will be host to one of these new centres.

“Such a facility would place front and centre significant dental provision for our area. It could educate a new generation of local dentists. To have such a centre in Harrogate would be a huge boon to our area.

“I look forward to receiving more details from the ICB and feel hopeful that my request for a Centre of Dental Development in Harrogate will be successful.”

Harrogate school ‘could be judged outstanding’, says Ofsted report

A Harrogate primary school is to be re-inspected by Ofsted after an interim assessment suggested it could be judged ‘outstanding’.

Oatlands Junior School was rated ‘good’ when Ofsted visited in 2018, and following inspectors’ latest visit in July, the school retained that status.

But in its report, Ofsted said there was “enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) [i.e. more comprehensive] inspection now”.

Oatlands is now expected to undergo a graded inspection within the next two years to assess whether it is still ‘good’ or has attained ‘outstanding’ status.

The report, released today, particularly praises the school’s inclusivity, reporting that leaders and staff “help every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to be the very best that they can be.”

It goes on to praise the school’s “broad and interesting” curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, sense of equality, and respect for difference and diversity.

Photo of four pupils from Oatlands Junior School in Harrogate, jumping in the air.

The headteacher of Oatlands Junior School, Mrs Estelle Scarth, said:

“The report certainly captures everything about Oatlands Junior School that we are immensely proud of and quite rightly describes all the outstanding evidence that was found throughout a very thorough inspection.

“Our success is firmly based on the dedication and talents of everyone that works in our school, the strong, positive relationships that we have with our parents and carers, and of course, all the amazing children in our care.”

Oatlands Junior School, along with Western Primary and Harrogate Grammar School, was one of the founding schools of the Red Kite Learning Trust in 2015. This has since grown into a multi-academy trust of 14 schools across North and West Yorkshire.

Amanda Thornton Jones, Director of Primary Education for Red Kite Learning Trust, said:

“Ofsted recognised the strong collaborative approach within our Trust and how talent and expertise of staff are developed across all our schools. Oatlands Junior School has a highly trained, dedicated and expert team led by an exceptional headteacher.

“Mrs Scarth’s high aspirations and vision are shared by all within the school community. Oatlands Junior is a highly successful school, providing a rich curriculum which releases potential and creates amazing opportunities for all pupils.”

Harrogate Restaurant Week returns to offer discount dining

Restaurants across the Harrogate district will be offering discount deals next month, when Visit Harrogate Restaurant Week returns.

The week-long event runs from Monday, October 9, to Sunday, October 15, and will see at least 15 participating restaurants and food outlets offer set-price dining deals for £10, £15, £20 and £30. Big names taking part include Bettys, The Ivy, Hotel du Vin and the Clocktower Brasserie at Rudding Park.

This October’s Restaurant Week runs for longer than last year’s inaugural event, and incorporates Sunday, October 15, to capture the weekend visitor footfall and coincide with the Harrogate Music Weekender organised by Harrogate BID.

The weekend of October 13-15 will see live performances, street entertainers and special offers driving further footfall to Harrogate’s town centre hospitality venues.

Harrogate BID is supporting the week-long event by providing free parking in the Jubilee Car Park in Harrogate from 4pm daily until it closes.

The purpose of Restaurant Week, which is organised by Destination Harrogate, is twofold. Pre-fixed prices help diners to plan what to spend in advance, encouraging them to discover new places to eat.

It also offers businesses in the food and hospitality industry an opportunity to raise their profile. Following the first Restaurant Week in February, many participating businesses reported an increase in bookings and in footfall for the week – while also showing interest for a follow-up event later in the year.

Helen Suckling, partnership and commercial manager for Destination Harrogate, said:

“The feedback we received from February’s event was very positive and, in extending the time that diners are given to enjoy Restaurant Week, we’re also extending the opportunity to boost business for our food and hospitality trade at a traditionally quieter time of the year.”

Customers can take advantage of the lower priced menus and food deals by visiting participating restaurants, cafés and food outlets and quoting the offer.

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, said:

“Excellent food and drink is one of the Harrogate area’s tourism strengths and, through Restaurant Week, we’re showcasing the diversity of our dining offer.

“Restaurant Week also supports our commitment to sustainable tourism. In finding new ways to attract visitors and spread footfall across the whole year, we’re offering new opportunities to our local businesses, along with great deals to our visitors and residents alike.”

Businesses can sign up to the initiative via the Destination Harrogate website.

For information on menu offers and the dates on which they are available, see the Visit Harrogate website.

Visit Harrogate is the official tourism website for the Harrogate area of North Yorkshire. It is operated by Destination Harrogate, which is part of North Yorkshire Council.

Young Pateley triathlete brothers inspired by Yorkshire Olympians

Two young brothers from Nidderdale are following in the footsteps of their sporting heroes, who have sent them words of encouragement.

Angus and Alfie Millar received hand-written letters from the Brownlee brothers, along with treasured items of their sporting kit, after writing to the famous pair.

The Yorkshire-born Brownlee brothers rank among Britain’s greatest living athletes. Alistair Brownlee won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and younger brother Jonathan Brownlee won gold in the mixed relay at the 2020 Olympics and is a six-time world triathlon champion.

Inspired by their success, Ripon Grammar School pupils Angus, 13, and Alfie, 12, are representing their county in triathlon, with ambitions to go further.

Having taken up the endurance multisport six years ago, both were selected for the Yorkshire team in national championships, held at Mallory Park in Leicestershire, after beating off stiff competition from throughout the county.

In the finals, where their county came ninth overall, they were up against the best young athletes from England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands. Angus has since been selected for the Yorkshire Talent Squad, following challenging trials, and won bronze at the recent national schools fell-running championships.

Young Nidderdale triathlete Angus Millar competing in a fell-running race.

Angus Millar during a fell-running race.

The boys live near Pateley Bridge, about 20 miles from Bramhope, Leeds, where the Brownlees were born.

In his response to the boys’ fan letter, Alistair Brownlee wrote:

“We started when we were the same age as you are now. We are both thrilled that we are an inspiration. Keep up the training and hopefully we will meet at a race one day!”

Angus said they were also delighted to receive a signed swim cap and photo, along with a World Series tri-suit. He said:

“The Brownlee brothers are a big inspiration. We love watching them race.”

Alfie, who fits in his triathlon training at 6.30am before school and at weekends, said he was inspired by their story:

“Even at the age of 12, Jonny came last at his cross country and started to train even more until he improved greatly and got really good.”

Having been placed third in several Yorkshire triathlons, Angus said:

“Triathlon is my main sport and I devote lots of time to it and love to train. I did lots of training for the latest race, where the level was very high.

“I would love to compete in other big races around the country and it would be nice to keep doing triathlon at a high level.”

Campaigners toast £330,000 grant to relaunch village pub

Villagers campaigning to save an old inn have been awarded a £330,000 government grant to help them buy and refurbish it as a community-owned pub, bistro and coffee shop.

Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young announced the Community Ownership Fund grant this week for the Henry Jenkins Inn at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, which has been the subject of a long battle by local residents to save it from redevelopment.

The application for the funding was submitted by Andy Taylor, treasurer of Henry Jenkins Community Pub Ltd (HJCP), the resident-controlled company trying to buy the pub. He said:

“We burned the midnight oil to get our Community Ownership Fund application in shape and I’m enormously proud that we’ve been selected for grant approval.

“There is a lot to do, including raising the funds pledged by our membership, but this vote of confidence from the government will get some real impetus behind the campaign to restore the Henry Jenkins as a much-loved community asset in the village.”

The £330,000 grant is understood to be dependent on 20% match funding, meaning that HJCP needs to come up with £66,000 in order to access it.

The chair of HJCP, Richard Sadler, said:

“We’re delighted that the minister and the Community Ownership Fund team have recognised that we’ve put forward a realistic and properly costed business plan for the purchase and refurbishment of this important local asset. Together with more than £200,000 worth of pledged community shares from local people, this puts us in a strong position to do something exceptional.

“We’re convinced that the revival of this historic building as a community-owned facility can make a huge difference to our village by creating an exciting new social space, bringing people together and helping to kick-start the regeneration of the local economy.”

The Henry Jenkins opened in the 1700s but closed in 2011 and was bought by current owner David Fielder the following year. At the instigation of local residents, it was first listed by Harrogate Borough Council as an asset of community value in 2017. However, in 2018 the listing on the eastern annexe was removed by the council, when it was sold to Mr Fielder’s business associate, Justin Claybourn.

Since then, the owners and campaigners have been at loggerheads, with Mr Fielder rejecting six purchase offers from the HJCP group and refusing permission for a site survey. Mr Claybourn once even told HJCP that he would not sell to them “at any time or any price”.

Happy to sell

But Mr Fielder told the Stray Ferret today he’d be willing to sell the pub immediately, for the right price. He said:

“I’d be happy to sell. It’s up to them to call in the pledges, and then we’ll sell – for either £250,000 for the pub or £500,000 for the whole site including the house next door.

“It’s stood empty since 2012, so it’d be nice to see it put to proper use.”

Mr Sadler would not be drawn on how much HJCP would be willing to pay, but said:

“We remain open to discussions with Mr Fielder, but we won’t entertain the idea of buying at above market price, and we insist on being able to have a survey and structural assessment carried out before negotiations begin, so that we can calculate exactly what the refurbishment costs would be.

“The owner has allowed the pub to fall into a dilapidated state, he’s stripped out the interior, the roof has started to fall in, and the beer garden is completely overgrown. Through our local ward councillor, we have begun preliminary discussions with North Yorkshire Council over a proposed compulsory purchase order to break the deadlock and secure the Henry Jenkins for future generations.

“We would like to make clear that we still regard compulsory purchase as a last resort. We are always open to discussions with the owner over purchase of the site but we will only pay a fair market price and so would need his permission for a proper valuation and structural survey.”

The Mechanics Institute in Kirkby Malzeard

The Queen’s Head is also in the village.

Mr Fielder, who lives near Selby, bought his first pub in 1987 and has since amassed a broad property portfolio, which includes 18 pubs across North and West Yorkshire, industrial estates, farms, residential properties and student lets.

Despite being prepared to sell the Henry Jenkins, he said he feared what impact its refurbishment might have on other local businesses. He said:

“God knows what effect it’ll have on the Queens Head and the Mechanics’ Institute. There’s no way a village like Kirkby Malzeard can sustain three licensed premises plus an off-licence. That’s a fact, and I’ll be proved right.

“There’s a lot of people struggling at the moment, so I think they might have difficulties collecting all the pledges. But that’s their problem, not mine.

“If they can come up with the money, that’d be fantastic, but if they can’t then there’s no story, I’m afraid.”

The Henry Jenkins is named after a Yorkshire supercentenarian from Ellerton-on-Swale – 20 miles north of Kirkby Malzeard – who was said to have been 169 years old when he died in 1670.

Harrogate’s ‘HR detective’ launches new podcast to solve workplace ‘people puzzles’

This story is sponsored by Gorse Culture POD.

A Harrogate HR expert has turned detective to help fellow professionals “solve the people puzzle” through a series of free podcasts.

Jo Gorse, who works with clients across the UK and internationally, is teaming up with a different special guest each week to unpick HR issues common to all kinds of business. She said:

“I love TV detective shows, and in some ways, what I do follows a similar format. My podcasts investigate common issues, talk to expert witnesses, and come up with actionable solutions. This is the HR Detective Agency, where we help you solve the ‘people puzzle’ one piece at a time.”

Jo has the highest level of HR qualification – the equivalent of a Master’s degree – accredited by industry body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), is a qualified coach in change management, and has worked with large public-sector organisations as well as private-sector multinationals.

In each Gorse Culture PODcast, she uses her expertise to dissect issues that HR professionals frequently have to deal with. So far, Jo and her guests, from as far afield as the USA and Sri Lanka, have looked at issues including psychological safety, creating fair and transparent reward systems, and supporting staff attendance with the right mindset.

Photo of Jo Gorse with fellow HR professional Eleanor Wilde, in the studio to record Jo's first podcast.

In her first podcast, Jo (left) discussed ‘wellbeing on a limited budget’ with Eleanor Wilde.

The new podcast episode, released on Wednesday (September 27), will feature guest Glenn Martin, founder & CEO of Never Mind The Job Spec, who will join Jo to look at human-centred recruitment to solve retention problems.

Jo said:

“One organisation I worked with had 45% staff turnover, plus a lot of absence due to stress. I found the organisation didn’t really have any support mechanisms in place. People would be formally monitored about their absences, but receive very little support. Employees became disengaged, and it created a culture of low motivation, which impacted the business’s targets.

“It needed a cultural transformation, which included managers acknowledging the problem, as well as employee engagement in setting the future focus of the company. As a result, staff ended up measurably happier and the company started holding on to its employees. Everyone benefited.”

Jo has created the podcast series specially for business leaders and HR professionals to tackle their companies’ ‘people puzzles’. She said:

“Their business might have had a growth spurt, or they may have to take the difficult decision to make redundancies, or manage employee relations issues, such as complex investigations.

“These podcasts break down the problem and discuss how best to approach it. We examine it, pick it apart, and come up with clear, practical answers.”

Find out more:

You can download Human-centred Recruitment to Solve Retention, with Glenn Martin, as well as all previous podcasts and show notes for each episode, on Jo’s website.

To apply for a guest slot on a podcast episode, to give feedback on any of the issues discussed, or to submit your ‘people puzzle’ for podcast examination by the HR Detective Agency, email hello@gorseculturepod.com.

Roadworks to hit main road in Harrogate over half-term break

One of Harrogate’s busiest arterial roads is to be dug up for two weeks, including over the half-term holiday.

A stretch of Skipton Road between King Edward’s Drive and the railway line will undergo routine repair and maintenance works carried out by Northern Gas Networks between Monday, October 23 and Friday, November 3.

The schools’ half-term break covers the week commencing Monday, October 30.

The news comes hot on the heels of lengthy and disruptive roadworks further west along Skipton Road, which only ended on September 6.

Scott Kitchingman, operations manager at NGN, said:

“We are carrying out some work in the Skipton Road area of Harrogate during the October school half-term break; the dates have been planned in to try to minimise disruption to the public.

“We are still determining the precise area of where we will be working, however, information will be communicated once plans are finalised.

“We apologise in advance for any disruption caused by these works, but it is essential that we work proactively in areas identified as having pipes that could be at risk.”

NGN is the company responsible for piping gas around most of the north of England and is currently carrying out a huge programme to replace old metal pipes with new plastic ones.

Harrogate’s ‘inner-city school’ is improving, says headteacher

When Harrogate High School held its autumn open evening on Thursday, there will have been some parents present who needed to be won over.

After 10 years of being rated ‘satisfactory’ by Ofsted, and then another 10 years rated ‘good’, the school was downgraded earlier this year to ‘requires improvement’ – the third-best out of four ratings.

But speaking to the Stray Ferret ahead of the open evening, headteacher Sukhraj Gill said the thorny subject of the school’s Ofsted report was not one he was going to duck. He said:

“It’s the first thing I talk about on parents’ evenings – it’s not an elephant in the room for me. On paper, we’re ‘requires improvement’, but we are improving.”

Mr Gill arrived at Harrogate High in January 2022 and had been in post little over a year when the Ofsted inspectors came the following spring.

A graduate of the University of Warwick, he completed his teaching qualifications at the University of Cambridge and taught maths for over 20 years in West Yorkshire, including a decade at Bradford Academy (then rated ‘good’), where he was vice principal.

Photo of the headteacher of Harrogate High School, Sukhraj Gill, standing in front of the school.

He said:

“Before I started this job, people said to me ‘Harrogate High? That’s the worst school in Harrogate’. I heard all those descriptions of the school before I even set foot through the door.

“That just tells me that these students need good-quality education, and good-quality people who value them and can help them grow and move on to their next destinations.

“I’m not saying I’m anybody special, but I think I can bring a bit of experience and strategy.”

He came to Harrogate High at a time when the school – like many around the country – was still reeling from the covid pandemic. The school had lost its sixth form, and a lot of students – even those from secure, well-off backgrounds – were displaying the traits of social disadvantage: disorganisation, lack of focus, and persistent absenteeism.

Mr Gill, who is the school’s third headteacher since the last Ofsted inspection in 2017, said:

“At that time, we [already] had some turbulence among the teachers and leadership here. We own that – we’re not going to hide from that. But we’re part of the Northern Star Academies Trust, and they were all over that, hiring a school improvement officer and replacing the senior leaders here. I was the last piece, as the headteacher.”

But the changes didn’t stop at new staff. The Ofsted report highlighted several areas where the school, which has around 750 students, needed to improve, and Mr Gill is introducing best practice strategies to effect the necessary changes.

One criticism of the school was that the implementation of the curriculum in some subjects was not as effective as in others, so he has developed a teacher toolkit, which lays out the different phases that every lesson must feature.

Ofsted also pointed out that some staff didn’t not use the school behaviour policy consistently, so Mr Gill has created scripts for teachers to use in the most common situations.

Another observation was that the personal development curriculum was not planned to the same level as subject curriculum planning, so the school identified its core values under the acronym CARES – courage, aspiration, respect, equality and self-control – which permeate school life.

The watchword is consistency – in expectations, behaviour, lesson structure and planning. Mr Gill said:

“This is an evidence-based approach, and it’s effective for all students, even high attainers. If you have consistency in learning, language, the way teachers teach, it helps students make an impact quicker.”

Beyond the classroom, there is a wide range of extracurricular activities, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards have been reintroduced, there’s a farm twinning project with Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and there are even plans to create an urban farm at the school at some point over the next three years.

For the more academically minded, Mr Gill says the curriculum was built “from the top down” rather than from the bottom up, and is delivered with high expectations.

The overall mission is to be a school for the community which supports every child regardless of background, says Mr Gill:

“My experience of working in inner cities is good for Harrogate High School, because this is effectively an inner-city comprehensive school – even though Harrogate is a town. This is a true comprehensive school. We’ve got affluence and high attainers, and we’ve also got some real disadvantage, and that’s not always appreciated by the wider community.”

The data reinforces the point. Harrogate High School has the highest percentage of children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) of all the mainstream schools in North Yorkshire. Nearly 30% of children receive free school meals, compared with 15% across the county and around 24% nationally. Mr Gill said:

“We’ve got children here who are looked-after children, we’ve got children who are young carers for parents who are drug abusers, we’ve got children who we feed breakfast to, because they can’t get it at home. But we’re an inclusive school. We won’t let any child down.”

Whether Mr Gill is successful in his mission could be measured in various ways, but he says his mindset has never been based around his personal success – it’s always about the students. He said:

“When you make a difference to students who need the difference made, that brings the greatest sense of fulfilment.

“I’m a very spiritual person – I do a lot of meditation – and I’ve always thought we’re chosen to be here, at this point in time.”

The other obvious measure of success will be the next Ofsted inspection – whenever that may come – but that doesn’t seem to faze him. He said:

“We’ve put strategies into place and we’re now starting to see a culture shift. If Ofsted came in a year’s time, I believe we’d have a completely different report.

“But we don’t work just to an Ofsted inspection – it only reflects a point in time. We work for the students. We serve our community. That’s who we’re here for.”

North Yorkshire chief constable announces retirement

The chief constable of North Yorkshire Police has announced she will retire after more than 30 years in uniform.

Lisa Winward will step down from the £154,000-a-year role at the end of March 2024; her successor has yet to be named.

She said she was “immensely proud to have been a police officer and public servant for 30 years”, adding:

“It was a very difficult decision to make but I feel that the time is right for me to retire.

“I will still be here for several months and look forward to saying goodbyes in person to as many people as possible who I have had the privilege to meet during my time in policing.”

Chief constable Winward began her policing journey as a volunteer special constable in York.

Following service through the ranks of constable through to chief inspector for Humberside Police, Lisa resumed her service to North Yorkshire in 2008, serving the City of York as chief inspector, superintendent and commander between 2009 and 2013.

She has served in key roles at the heart of North Yorkshire Police including executive officer to the then-chief constable, head of uniformed operations, major crime, specialist operations, criminal justice, and force intelligence.

After leading the local policing portfolio as assistant chief constable throughout 2016, in February 2017 she became deputy chief constable at North Yorkshire Police. In August 2018, she was confirmed as chief constable.

A statement issued by North Yorkshire Police said:

“Her vision and passion for understanding and addressing the root causes of crime and disorder in communities has been a hallmark of her tenure as chief, positioning North Yorkshire Police to play its part in early intervention, and working seamlessly with partner organisations to help the residents of York and North Yorkshire be safe and feel safe.”

Chief constable Winward is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy development programme in leadership and policing, and during her time as a chief officer has been the lead on a number of national portfolios, including citizens in policing, women’s health, and menopause. She is a trustee for the Police Treatment Centre and the chair of the British Police Symphony Orchestra. She currently leads for the National Police Chiefs’ Council on intelligence, local policing and senior assessment, and in 2022 was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished policing service.

Paying tribute, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe said:

“Her dedication of over 30 years of public service and collaboration has shone through whilst serving as a leader here at North Yorkshire Police and I feel privileged to have spent time working alongside such a remarkable individual.

“I know all of us here in York and North Yorkshire wish Lisa well in her future plans.”

Harrogate school to create city farm

Leaders at Harrogate High School aim to create an urban farm in the school’s grounds, it has been revealed.

Harrogate High is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust, which also includes Skipton Girls’ High School and seven primaries, including New Park, Hookstone Chase, Willow Tree and Starbeck.

Jenn Plews, chief executive of Northern Star, told the Stray Ferret the trust was “really ambitious” for the school’s Ainsty Road site.

She said:

“We have an ambition to open a city farm here, probably within the next three years.

“As part of our environmental and sustainability priority, all of our schools are really focused on the farm-to-fork agenda, the walk-to school agenda, and also bringing nature in, so a lot of our schools have got a lot of plants and nature brought in from outside.

“We’ve had a farm-twinning project with AONB Nidderdale [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty] over the last year, and last year we had over 1,000 children going out to farms as part of their education, which has been incredible.”

What form the farm would take, and what it would include, have yet to be decided. Ms Plews said:

“We’d have to work out what animals we’d have, to start with. We’ve already got goats and chickens at New Park, and ducks, and we’ve got two apiaries in the trust that produce honey.

“What this school needs is a really great partner, because we can’t do it on our own.”

She said the ideal partner would be a care farm. Care farms use farm-related activities for therapeutic purposes and provide healthcare, social care and specialist educational services.

She added:

“A farm would also allow us to give our students opportunities in animal care and husbandry qualifications.”

Harrogate High headteacher Sukhraj Gill added:

“If children are having mental health needs and wellbeing needs, the farm would be a different environment that they can get involved in. All the research shows that extracurricular things like that will help.”

Mr Gill gave the Stray Ferret a wider-ranging interview, which will be published over the weekend.

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Happy to sell

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