Woodfield leaders ‘listening to parents’ before deciding school’s future

Parents at a Harrogate primary school facing an uncertain future have spent the day meeting with governors and the headteacher. 

Woodfield Community Primary School opened its doors for parents to ask questions after a planned merger with Grove Road Community Primary School fell through. 

The proposal had been put forward after Woodfield was placed in special measures by Ofsted two years ago. Governors had been unable to find a multi-academy trust to join, as required by Ofsted, and an announcement was made yesterday that the planned merger had also fallen through. 

Cllr Paul Haslam, who has been a governor at the school since early 2019, told the Stray Ferret: 

“It is bitterly disappointing. The school has got the best teaching it has had for many years.  

“The calibre of the teaching and learning of the children can’t be faulted, in my opinion.  

“I believe it’s more to do with Grove Road feeling they don’t have the resources in order to accomplish what the amalgamation set out to do, rather than anything else. We’ve all got the children’s interests at heart. 

“We’re listening to parents rather than telling them what to do. It’s about having an ear. 

“Let’s get through this stage and understand what this stage is; listening to parents and their concerns will help us formulate what we do in the future. 

“We will come to a conclusion based on what parents tell us and what all parties believe is right.” 

Cllr Haslam said the governors had written to all parents about amalgamation being dropped before the news was announced publicly.  

“We view this as a very urgent situation that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. We will be doing everything we can in order to expedite and get information for people.  

“We’re challenged with the Easter holidays – the governors were 200% behind the fact we had to offer to sit with the parents today.  

“We didn’t want them to go away worrying about this. Obviously, they will worry, but we are giving them an opportunity to talk about this.” 

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After the merger proposal was initially announced, North Yorkshire County Council and leaders from both schools held two online public meetings in January for parents to ask questions. 

Asked what would happen if the planned amalgamation fell through, Andrew Dixon, strategic planning manager for NYCC, said they “would have to consult on a school closure”. 

However, Cllr Haslam said today that he wanted to reassure parents: 

“Until further notice, the school continues to operate exactly as it is. That’s the legal obligation of NYCC – we have to operate the school as is. 

“The first and most important thing is that the children are the centre and the core of everything that we as governors do. That’s our utmost consideration at all times.” 

Woodfield was rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in March 2020, but monitoring visits by inspectors have since found that improvements are being made.  

They particularly praised the efforts made by the school’s new leaders and governors to identify the work needed to improve and how they can be evaluated. 

Yorkshire Cup win seals success for Harrogate Grammar’s Rugby Team

Harrogate Grammar’s under 18s rugby squad are celebrating having been crowned champions of the Yorkshire Cup after beating Crossley Heath 19-12.

It is the first time the school has won the cup since 2007.

Tom Ryder, the director of sport at Harrogate Grammar, said:

“Winning the Yorkshire Cup was the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for the Sports Academy. They are a dedicated and motivated group who train hard and commit.

“The Yorkshire Cup final was an extra special occasion, as so many teachers, students, HGS Alumni, friends and family came out to support.

Student Freddie Yates scored two tries, whilst team-mate, Matthew Leatham, won the man of the match award.

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After two years of disruption, students have enjoyed a full season of fixtures across all years. The girls’ under 14 netball reached regional finals recently, as did the boys’ hockey team.

Neil Renton, the school’s headteacher spoke on the win. He said:

“They are talented squad and their dedication not only reflects our values of commitment and excellence, but also inspires our younger students. The Academy is a unique asset to our school, championing success in netball and rugby and we want to attract students from all over the county.

“Our PE faculty works hard to organise so many fixtures, driving forward such successful teams and offering a tremendous range of sports to all our students.”

Harrogate Theatre scaffolding to come down from this weekend

The scaffolding that has covered one of Harrogate’s most-loved historical landmarks for almost a year will be coming down from this weekend.

Harrogate Theatre was in need of a huge, £1 million restoration on its roof. The works were initially meant to be completed last September but covid delays and bad weather meant they were only finished last month.

As a council-owned building, the project has been run in conjunction with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Theatre Trust.

Now that additional works to the building on Oxford Street have been completed, Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed the scaffolding will be dismantled from this weekend.

The scaffolding on Oxford Street will come down first with the rest on Cheltenham Parade coming down towards the end of the month.

A council spokesperson said:

“Like any heritage building of this age, the investment project at Harrogate Theatre has been complex and faced a number of challenges. Not least, material and labour shortages – impacted by Covid-19 and isolation requirements – as well as the numerous storms in the last few months.

“During the removal of the scaffolding, final work will take place to re-point brickwork, re-glaze the canopy above the front entrance, along with decoration to the windows and the shop frontages.”

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The renovations haven’t been without their challenges, during stormy weather in November and February the theatre had to close and cancel performances. In November, the theatre had to cancel a full weekend of its pantomime performances due to a leak and again in February, the final performance of Kinky Boots was cancelled after a second leak.

There was also an incident in January where three young teens scaled the roof and caused £800 damage.

Despite all the ongoing works the theatre has continued to stage multiple productions including its annual pantomime.

It is not clear if the delays have caused the £1 million restoration fee to increase.

Swinsty Reservoir walking route reopens today

The circular walking route around Swinsty Reservoir has reopened today, three months ahead of schedule.

Yorkshire Water closed the circular route around the reservoir In November 2020 to allow it to undertake £6 million safety works that were due to be completed in the summer.

The company introduced a temporary footpath, which drew some complaints for being too muddy.

https://twitter.com/YorkshireWater/status/1512387717430136845

 

The reservoir in the Washburn Valley is a popular location for families and dog walkers in the Harrogate district.

Alastair Harvey, lead recreation advisor at Yorkshire Water, said:

“Swinsty is one of our most popular reservoir sites, so it’s fantastic to have the full circular route open once again. We’re grateful for the patience of our visitors and local residents whilst the work took place.”

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Harrogate returns to list of UK’s best places to live

The Sunday Times has identified Harrogate as one of the best places to live in the UK.

The newspaper’s annual Best Places to Live list, published today, names the town as one of nine places in the north and north-east of England, and 70 nationally, which are among the most desirable.

Judges cited the town’s schools, parks, shops, cafes and restaurants as among its attractions, describing it as “all the fun and fresh air of Yorkshire without any of the gritty bits”.

They listed an average house price of £390,000, which they said had risen by 20% in the last two years.

The Times and Sunday Times property editor Helen Davies, one of the list’s judges, said:

“The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place.

“For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people? 

“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH [working-from-home] revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.”

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Ilkley has topped the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2022, though Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire was named as the best place to live in the north and north-east of England.

Also on the list for the region were Leeds City Centre, Cawthorne in South Yorkshire, Hovingham and Great Ayton in North Yorkshire, Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear, and Morpeth in Northumberland.

Harrogate last appeared on the list in 2016. In 2020, Ripon was featured, while last year Masham was singled out as one of the top places to live.

Property website Rightmove has frequently listed Harrogate as one of the happiest places to live in the UK.

More dubiously, a BBC Two programme named it as the country’s “porn capital” in 2010, with more people browsing for explicit content than anywhere else. Three years earlier, it was identified as the second-worst place for problematic drinking in a study conducted by the North West Health Observatory at the Centre for Public Health.

Property developer Adam Thorpe pleads not guilty to drink-driving

Harrogate property developer Adam Thorpe has pleaded not guilty to driving at almost twice the legal limit for alcohol.

Mr Thorpe, of Ingerthorpe Hall, Markington, was stopped by police in November 2021 on the B6265 near Risplith Hill.

He was charged with having 66 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Mr Thorpe attended Harrogate Magistrates Court today and pleaded not guilty.

Charlotte Dangerfield, prosecuting, said if the case were adjourned the prosecution would call two witnesses, including a forensic toxicologist.

The chair of the magistrates agreed to adjourn the trial until September 26. It will be heard at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

Mr Thorpe received unconditional bail.

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Harrogate Borough Council announced in 2017 that Mr Thorpe had bought its former offices at Crescent Gardens for £6.31 million.

But the deal never went through and the site was eventually sold to Impala Estates.

Future of Woodfield school uncertain as Grove Road merger dropped

A proposed amalgamation of two Harrogate primary schools is set to be shelved.

The plan would have seen Woodfield Community Primary School close and become part of Grove Road Community Primary School, which would be based across the two sites from September.

However, governors at Grove Road have withdrawn their support for the plans.

It leaves the future of Woodfield hanging in the balance, with its governors saying they need time to consider what will happen next.

They said:

‘’We are saddened to hear about Grove Road’s decision to withdraw support for the amalgamation.

“It has been a difficult time for Woodfield School, and we were very hopeful​​​ that a satisfactory conclusion could found for the future of the school. The school, staff, parents, and governors need a time of reflection before we make any decisions regarding the school’s future.

“We will continue to consult with North Yorkshire County Council regarding any future decisions.’’

Woodfield School parents

Some Woodfield school parents spoke out against the merger.

The proposal had been met with shock and disappointment from some residents, who said they valued the school and did not want to see it closed. A consultation was held for parents and the wider community to enable the schools and North Yorkshire County Council to gather people’s views.

However, the county council is now proposing that the amalgamation should not proceed, with a decision to be made by its executive on April 19.

The merger was put forward after Woodfield was rated inadequate by Ofsted, forcing it to look to be taken on by a multi-academy trust. Ofsted inspectors found the school was making progress, but no academy could be found to take Woodfield on.

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Today, Grove Road’s governors said in a statement:

“When first approached about the amalgamation the leadership and governors could see the potential benefits of the proposal for the communities of both schools and were supportive of the consultation. However, a change of such significance also carries risk.

“During the consultation period we have monitored factors such as the level of support for the proposal and the likely demand for school places.

“Ultimately, the governing board have concluded that we must prioritise the future of Grove Road School and so, sadly, we can no longer support the proposed amalgamation.”

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for education and skills, Cllr Patrick Mulligan, told the Stray Ferret in November that the council would have liked to give Woodfield school more time, but its hands were tied by national policy.

He also said the process could be a “downward spiral”, with a poor rating resulting in fewer applications and admissions, then a struggle to make the school viable.

Today, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of children and young people services, Stuart Carlton, said:

“Any proposal to expand a school onto an additional site is a significant change with challenges that should not be underestimated. So, while we are disappointed the proposal is no longer supported, we fully understand why Grove Road governors now have that view.

“I would like to thank the leadership and governors of both schools for their efforts in working with us on this amalgamation proposal.

“We will now need to work alongside the Department for Education and governors at Woodfield primary to re-consider the position for the school over the coming weeks before we are able to comment further.” 

New Harrogate pub opens tomorrow

The Curious Cow of Harrogate will open to the public tomorrow after a £650,000 rebrand.

Revere Pub Company, which has transformed the former Old Spring Well pub, has held a series of soft launches and opening parties over the last week.

The pub, on the A59 in Killinghall, provides contemporary dishes alongside pub classics, plus pizza and steak.

General manager Michael Baravelli is well known on the local hospitality scene, having worked at venues such as the Gino D’Acampo restaurant in Harrogate, The Joiner’s Arms in Hampsthwaite and The Pine Marten in Harrogate.

Michael Baravelli

Michael Baravelli

He said:

“We are looking forward to creating a beautiful space where the community can escape, switch off and enjoy what we have to offer.”

The revamp has created 40 jobs at the site, which was known as the Travellers Rest before it became the Old Spring Well.

Revere Pub Company, which has 16 pubs in the UK, has replaced the children’s play area outside with a seating area.

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Trevor Chapman at Curious Cow

Mayor Trevor Chapman pulls a pint.

Harrogate Town made £1m loss in first Football League season

Harrogate Town posted a loss of £1 million during its first season in the English Football League.

The club secured professional league status for the first time in its history in 2020 after winning the National League play-offs.

Town then played its entire 2020/21 season in League Two behind closed doors due to the covid pandemic.

According to accounts filed with Companies House, the club published a loss of £1.019 million for the 12 months to June 2021.

The club said it was not alone in struggling through the pandemic and added that growing its fanbase now that spectators are allowed into stadiums was “a priority”.

The accounts added that the club’s cash flow forecast for the next 12 months was dependent on Irving Weaver, chairman and majority shareholder, not requesting £3.7 million he has currently put into the club in order for it to meet its liabilities.

The accounts said Mr Weaver “does not intend to seek repayment of the amounts due for the period covered by the forecast”.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Town said:

“As with all sporting venues, entertainment and hospitality organisations, the club has had a challenging time during the pandemic with not being able to operate fully so we are obviously still playing catch up.

“As you would expect, as a relatively new league status club, and with fans allowed in for the first time this season since being promoted into the league, we are still growing our fan base and that will remain our priority.

“We have lots going on behind the scenes and will be announcing details of all new developments as soon as we are in a position to do so ahead of the new season but we are still in the planning and negotiations stages on various projects.”

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The club is currently in the process of improving facilities at the EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road following promotion to the English Football League.

Last month Town officials applied to Harrogate Borough Council to build a new clubhouse at the stadium to meet demand from increased fans on match days.

Meanwhile, a new ticket office and turnstiles at the EnviroVent Stadium were approved by the council in April 2021.

Carers’ Resource finds new Harrogate home

Carers’ Resource, the charity which supports unpaid carers looking after family members or friends, is moving to a new base in Harrogate.

The charity has had its head office at North Park Road, Harrogate, since 1995, but is now relocating to more modern premises at nearby Grove Park Court.

Staff have started moving in to the new office, which will be fully operational by April 11.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, will cut the ribbon to officially open the new site on May 13.

Chris Whiley, chief executive of Carers’ Resource, said:

“This charity began its life in Harrogate and while we have expanded over the years, this move demonstrates our huge commitment to carers in the Harrogate area and beyond.

“We have recently secured a new contract from North Yorkshire County Council to continue delivering services for unpaid carers in Harrogate and Craven, and to start delivering a full range of services in Selby.

“This move will give us a strong base from which we can continue to provide vital information, advice and support to carers.”

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Carers’ Resource was founded by Anne Smyth, who was awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2013 for her services to carers.

A small carers project initially operated out of Harrogate District Hospital before moving to North Park Road in 1995 and becoming an independent, not-for-profit charity with four staff. The young carer project started a year later.

Carers’ Resource now supports unpaid adult and young carers in Harrogate, Bradford and Craven districts, and will also be providing services in Selby from July 2022.