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12
Jul
Councillor raises concerns about admissions at Boroughbridge High School
A councillor has expressed concerns about declining applications for admission to Boroughbridge High School.
The school, which Ofsted assessed as ‘requires improvement’ following the last visit by government inspectors in 2023, caters for about 440 pupils.
North Yorkshire Council announced the closure of the school’s sixth form last year due to declining numbers.
Cllr Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents Boroughbridge and Claro on the council, told the Stray Ferret he had raised concerns about the number of local parents applying to send children elsewhere with Sir Stuart Carlton, the council’s corporate director for children and young people.
Cllr Windass said:
I’m aware that numbers are down. One person got in touch with me to say it was due to the new home-to-school transport policy. That may have a slight impact on admissions this year, but it doesn’t explain the full picture.
Cllr Windass said he understood the school had received about 87 applications for admissions this year, compared with about 120 usually, which was surprising given the town’s vast growth in recent years.
He said he was concerned about the situation and “it does not help that there is no sixth form now”. But he added Sir Stuart had assured him that closure was “not on their radar at all at this time”.
Council response
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council to confirm the latest admissions figures. We also asked if it was aware of concerns about the school and whether any discussions about its future viability had been held.
Louise Wilson, the council’s assistant director for education and skills, said:
All schools experience natural cycles of growth and development, with periods of strong performance and renewed focus. This is not unusual and happens all the time and all over the country.
Initial indications suggest that admissions to Year 7 at Boroughbridge High School will dip this year, however allocations are still being finalised.
We continue to work closely with the school leaders and governors through regular and focused monitoring, feedback and support.
Seventeen schools in North Yorkshire have closed in recent years, but all were primary schools.
In its 2021 report, the North Yorkshire Rural Commission urged the Department for Education to increase support for rural secondary schools.
The council changed its home-to-school transport policy in September last year to only provide free transport to the nearest school for eligible pupils.
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