St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Harrogate has received a ‘good’ Ofsted rating.

The school was inspected in March and the newly released report said St Peter’s is “a welcoming and friendly school” where children are taught “an ambitious curriculum” and “‘enjoy their learning and achieve well”.

Inspectors noted the adaptation of lessons to provide effective support for all children including those with additional needs and those for whom English is an additional language.

They added children “talk with maturity about a range of issues”, “show empathy and care for each other” and that there is, “a range of opportunities for children to develop their talents and interests”.

Paul Griffiths, headteacher at St Peter’s CE Primary School, said;

“It is privilege to lead a wonderful team of dedicated and hardworking professionals who work tirelessly to provide the very best for children and their families.

“I am immensely grateful to the whole staff team for all they do. As a school we are very fortunate to have a hugely supportive parent body and wonderful children who help to make St Peter’s a very special place. We look forward to building on the many positives from the recent inspection to continue to improve our facilities and provision for the benefit of all.”

Paul Griffiths St Peter’s head teacher

The school is part of Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, founded in 2015 the company covers nine schools in Harrogate and Craven.

Jane Goodwin, CEO at Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, said:

“This Ofsted outcome is welcomed by the School and the Trust as a representation of the fantastic School that St Peter’s is. As a happy and caring environment where everyone works hard together, all children enjoy and benefit from the quality of learning and wider experiences that staff create for them.

“St Peter’s is a shining example of a Yorkshire Causeway school, and I am hugely proud of their achievements.”

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Councillors have rejected a bid to ‘call in’ the decision by the Conservative-run executive to close Fountains Earth primary school in Nidderdale.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive met last month in Northallerton to approve the closure following a consultation. It took effect at the end of March.

The school in Lofthouse near Pateley Bridge faced dwindling pupil numbers in recent years and had no pupils on its books.

The school received a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted less than two years ago.

At a specially arranged meeting at County Hall, Cllr Andrew Murday (Liberal Democrat, Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale) asked that the decision to close the school be taken again, either by the executive or at a full meeting of the council.

Following Cllr Murday’s request, the children and families overview and scrutiny committee had the power to explore if the executive had all the information available to it when it made its decision.

Councillors heard from Stephen Ledger, a former parent at the school who said Fountains Earth had been the “heart of the community” until 2022.

He then described how “brilliant” permanent teachers left without explanation, which led to the school relying on agency staff. He said it left children “confused and unsettled” and confidence in the school from parents evaporated.

Cllr Stephen Ramsden, chair of Upper Nidderdale Parish Council, pleaded with councillors to help keep the school open for a September 2024 start. He said:

“With good skilled management this situation can be turned around”.

Cllr Murday again called for an investigation to take place first into the leadership of the Upper Nidderdale Federation, which ran the school, related to its academic and financial performance, as well as communication with parents.

He added:

“There is a problem throughout the country in funding rural schools. They are really important parts of the community.”

Stuart Carlton, North Yorkshire Council’s Corporate Director Children and Young People’s Service, read out a statement that addressed concerns raised.

He said the council did not have the power to investigate the governance of the federation.

Mr Carlton added:

“Due to the remote location of the school it struggled to retain staff. The federation considered the future of the school only after exhausting all avenues to sustain its future.  We realise the importance of schools in rural communities, despite this, we can’t keep schools open where there are no pupils on the roll.”

Councillors voted unanimously to reject the call-in request and agreed that the executive had received a thorough report and details from officers before making its decision.

Cllr Heather Phillips (Conservative, Seamer) said:

“This is the end of the matter and the school should be considered closed from the end of this meeting. It was a clear-cut decision made by the executive.”

Heather Peacock (Conservative, Upper Dales) added:

“None of us like to see a school closed but what happened at executive is they had all the information to make its decision.”

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Western Primary School in Harrogate has appointed a new headteacher to take over at the end of the academic year.

Johanna Slack will take over from current headteacher Tim Broad, who is to retire.

Ms Slack is currently headteacher at Tang Hall Primary School in York and has over 20 years teaching experience.

She will take charge of Western Primary, which more than 500 children aged from two to 11 attend on Cold Bath Road.

Ms Slack said:

“My leadership style is one that is open and nurturing. It is built from developing strong relationships with everyone in the school community which has mutual respect at its core.

Joining Western Primary School will see me starting my third headship and I am looking forward to bringing to my new role a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge which will support me and the team to continue the improvement journey to ensure all our children are getting the very best we have to offer.”

Ms Slack and Western Primary School

Mr Broad became acting headteacher of Western Primary in January 2020 before his full-time appointment in 2021.

Prior to this, he had worked as a teacher, phase leader and deputy head at the school since September 1999.

Mr Broad said:

“I feel very proud and privileged to have had the opportunity to lead this fantastic school. I have very mixed emotions around the prospect of retirement but feel it is the right time for me, my family and the school.

“I have been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented colleagues over many years, both at Western and within our Trust, and am grateful for their support and for their sustained contribution to our pursuit of excellence for our pupils and families.”

Western Primary is a member of Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust of 14 schools across North and West Yorkshire.

Trust chief executive Richard Sheriff said:

“We are indebted to Tim Broad for leading Western through some of the most challenging years any of us have faced. His constant, reassuring presence at the school during the pandemic was a huge comfort to children and parents.

“He has led his wonderful team with skill and moral purpose, ensuring Western has become even stronger under his tenure.”

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A Harrogate primary school’s plans to create an outdoor classroom have been boosted by success in a national IKEA competition.

Coppice Valley Primary School on Knapping Hill is one of four UK winners of a sustainable schools’ competition.

To enter the IKEA-Let’s Go Zero competition, schools sent in videos showcasing the sustainability work pupils are doing and how an award would enhance it.

A student eco team at Coppice Valley made a video explaining the school’s current eco focus and how it had plans to build an outdoor classroom. The school has already achieved the Eco-schools green flag award and has a community garden.

Coppice Valley was today named as one of four winners alongside schools in London, Newcastle and Lisburn in Northern Ireland.

It has won IKEA furniture, including tables and chairs, worth £1,500 to be used in its new outdoor learning space.

Samantha Wright, pupil and family support leader at the school, said:

“It is amazing, the children are thrilled about winning and the new space. I am really proud of the kids and the school. The children are all very passionate about it.”

Coppice Valley Primary School

Besides developing an outdoor classroom, Coppice Valley is also fundraising for a canopy to cover the area.

The outdoor space currently needs £600 in extra funding to create a wellness garden and one brave parent, Emilie May, will skydive from 10,000 feet on May 18 to raise funds. To find out more or donate click here.

The Let’s Go Zero’s campaign aims to make all 32,000 schools in the UK zero carbon by 2030.

Alex Green, head of Let’s Go Zero, which is a campaign to unite schools that want to become carbon zero, said:

 “These schools show clearly that they can inspire children to protect the environment, create beautiful learning spaces and provide students with vital new skills all at once.”

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A “dire situation” and “under pressure” – those are just two phrases used to describe North Yorkshire’s special educational needs services.

Over the last year, North Yorkshire Council has received more than 1,200 applications for support from parents with SEND children.

The figure is a significant increase on last year and has left council staff under pressure and parents frustrated.

Meanwhile, to compound matters further, the authority has a lack of places in special educational needs schools.

The Stray Ferret has covered the matter extensively with interviews with families with SEND children and the political fallout from the increased demand.

In this article, we look at how the council is coping with the matter and what it means for parents in the Harrogate district.

Thousands of requests

The demand on council services for SEND children was laid bare this month.

A report before councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on March 14 showed a significant increase in the number of education health and care plans submitted to the council.

The plans detail a child’s needs and are given to schools to consider ahead of a potential admission.

Read more:

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The council received 1,275 request for EHC plans in 2023 – a rise of 30% on the previous year.

Of that number, 600 were either awaiting assessment, had yet to be issued or were still being finalised.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, told councillors that part of the problem was a lack of educational psychologists to help deal with requests.

The council has since hired part time and trainee psychologists and sought agency staff to help address the backlog in plans.

Ms Newbold said:

“Where we have identified issues, we are doing everything possible to rectify that. It is an issue that we are aware of and it’s an issue that we are not happy about.”

‘Dire situation’

The council says its recruitment will help to tackle the timeliness in issuing plans to parents.

However, Emily Mitchell, who is co-founder of SenKind, a support group for parents of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in North Yorkshire, said the demand remains troubling.

Ms Mitchell, who lives in Harrogate and whose daughter Elsie is non-verbal and autistic, told the Stray Ferret that the upward trend in ECH plans had happened year on year but felt little had been done to address it.

She said:

“Year after year, we’ve witnessed this upward trend, yet little has changed to address the pressing needs of SEN children and their families in North Yorkshire.

“The situation is dire. The demand for specialist school places far exceeds availability, leaving countless children without the tailored support they require to thrive academically and socially.”

Emily Mitchell with her daughter Elsie.

Ms Mitchell, who had her own struggles with getting Elsie into an appropriate school in Harrogate last year, said more needed to be done on a local and national level to tackle growing demand for EHC plans.

She said:

“The influx of EHCP requests underscores the urgent need for action at both local and national levels.

“While some measures have been introduced to address these challenges, they fall short of providing the comprehensive support needed to alleviate the strain on SEN families, especially in North Yorkshire.

“It’s time for meaningful action to ensure that every child, regardless of their abilities, has access to the support and resources they need to succeed.”

Number one financial challenge

The matter over increased demand in North Yorkshire reached the House of Commons in January.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, said that senior council officers told him that special educational needs was the biggest financial challenge for them.

Speaking in parliament, he said recent changes to the Children and Families Act 2014 were believed to have led to 1,000 extra claims for financial assistance in North Yorkshire alone last year.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

Mr Jones said:

“I have met with several families in my constituency whose children have education, health and care plans, yet they still experience difficulties finding special educational needs and disabilities support.

“I have taken up their cases with senior council officers, who tell me that SEND is the number one financial challenge for the council.

“In North Yorkshire alone, the council believes 1,000 cases last year were attributable to changes made by that Act.”

Aside from hiring staff to tackle its backlog, North Yorkshire Council has sought to increase places in specialist schools for pupils.

The authority agreed proposals to create a facility at the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton in August 2023, which is expected to cost £3.5 million to establish.

Recently, it advertised for an academy sponsor for the site with a target open date of April 2025.

Meanwhile, it is also planning to provide additional special school places at Springwater School in Starbeck from September 2025.

The move would help to create additional capacity for 45 pupils at the school.

The project is expected to be funded through £3.1 million from its High Needs Provision Capital Allocation provided by government.

For the council, it hopes its measures will help to tackle demand for SEND pupils. However, parents appear yet to be convinced.

Fountains Earth Church of England Primary School will officially close for good at the end of this month.

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative-run executive met yesterday in Northallerton to approve the closure following a consultation.

The school in Lofthouse near Pateley Bridge has faced dwindling pupil numbers in recent years and currently has no pupils on its books.

The council’s executive member for education Annabel Wilkinson said “nobody wants to close a small school” and it was “a very hard decision”.

Fountains Earth is part of Upper Nidderdale Federation alongside St Cuthbert’s Church of England Primary School in Pateley Bridge and Glasshouses Community Primary School.

Earlier in the meeting, Cllr Andrew Murday (Liberal Democrat, Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale) pleaded with councillors to delay a decision as he called for an investigation to take place first into the leadership of the school’s federation related to its academic and financial performance as well as communication with parents.

He noted that the school received a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted in 2022 and if the issues were resolved, he believes parents would bring their children back.

Cllr Murday said:

“There would be pupils if the dispute with the federation hadn’t happened. Families have put houses up for sale because the school’s not there. It’s a chicken and egg situation.

“Rural schools are important for communities and they gain something from being small and within the community.”

However, the council’s legal officer Barry Khan suggested it would be out of its remit to investigate governance at the federation.

The number of pupils at the school had declined from 20 in 2017 to 10 in 2022.

This led executive member for finance Cllr Gareth Dadd to say keeping a school open with such few potential pupils “would be doing a disservice to those children”.

Cllr Greg White, executive member for environment, said for rural schools to remain open, residents need to “breed and have children”.

Cllr Dadd said: 

“I feel very uncomfortable sending a child to a primary school with 8 pupils. I don’t think it can be beneficial to that child. It’s not just about education it’s about social interaction as well.”

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, said this had been a factor when parents withdrew their children.

She said: 

“Four to 11-year-olds were being taught in one class. This was a challenge for the one member of staff who then moved on and the school struggled to recruit. They relied on agency staff or other teachers from the federation.

“When a child became the only one in their year group, the parents wanted to move them to schools with other children their own age to prepare for secondary school.”

The school will officially close on March 31 and its catchment area will become part of St Cuthbert’s Church of England Primary School in Pateley Bridge.

Read more:

• Concerns raised about leadership at Nidderdale primary schools
• Angry parents say closure of Lofthouse school will ‘rip heart out of community’

An opening of new primary school in Knaresborough is expected to be delayed until September 2026.

The school, which will be run by Elevate Multi Academy Trust, is  to be built at Manse Farm and serve pupils from new housing developments in the area.

It will provide 210 places for pupils, with the capacity to be expanded to 420.

North Yorkshire County Council unveiled plans for the school in 2020 as part of proposals “to serve housing growth”.

It was initially planned to open in September 2022, but was delayed twice until September 2024.

The council previously said that the project had been delayed due to an overhead electric cable that runs across the land where the school is due to be built. 

It added that a sub-station needed to be built on the land and the cable diverted before the site could be transferred to the authority.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee on Thursday that work was still progressing on resolving those matters.

She said:

“What I am aware of is that the earliest that school could be delivered at the moment is September 26.

“Once the primary allocations have been distributed in April, we will again review the data and look at the forecasts and gain an understanding of the timescales around that delivery and what it means to pupil cohorts and whether we need to put other provision in.

“As far as things stand at the moment, I understand that work is progressing around the issues that have been long standing at the site. There is still that commitment to deliver this project at the appropriate time.”

Read more:

• Concerns raised about leadership at Nidderdale primary schools
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The new school is expected to cost £6 million and serve up to 1,000 homes as part of the nearby Manse Farm developments.

Knaresborough Town Council has previously expressed frustration at the lack of progress at the school site.

In December, a motion by Cllr Matt Walker, who sits on the town council and also represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, was approved to invite developer Taylor Wimpey “to provide an update on the transfer of land at Manse Farm housing estate to North Yorkshire Council so a primary school can be built”.

North Yorkshire Council has invited academy trusts to sponsor a planned new special school in Harrogate.

The authority agreed proposals to create the facility at the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton in August 2023.

The school is expected to cater for up to 80 pupils aged between 11 and 19.

Council bosses said the school is needed to meet demand for special educational needs places locally.

Now, the authority has invited academy trusts to sponsor the school and operate it.

According to the invitation report, which has been published on the council website, the school would be opened on a phased basis from April 2025.

It adds that the authority has committed a £3.5 million budget to establishing the school.

This includes a two phased project to modify the buildings on the Woodfield site ahead of an April 2025 opening, plus a potential extension of its facilities afterwards.

Each pupil is expected to attract base funding of £10,000 each in line with the Department for Education’s high needs funding. Top up funding will also be given based upon the needs of the pupils.

The report said:

“The council’s current range of provision needs to be extended to cater more effectively for young people with a primary need of autism who require specialist support to maximise their potential.

“Those who require a more formal secondary curriculum and associated academic accreditation routes would benefit most from the proposed development.”

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A shortlist for those academy trusts who have applied is expected to be drawn up this month.

The move comes as a six-week consultation, which ended on July 24, 2023, saw 90 out of the 105 responses – a total of 86 per cent – support the proposed school.

Woodfield Community Primary School closed in December 2022 after an “inadequate” rating by Ofsted and a decline in pupil numbers.

Boroughbridge High School could close its sixth form permanently, depending on the outcome of a consultation requested by its governors. 

North Yorkshire Council is due to discuss the proposal to change the age range at the school by closing the sixth form at a meeting on Tuesday, January 9. If approved, the new arrangements would come into effect on August 31, 2024. 

The sixth form at Boroughbridge High School has been temporarily suspended since September 2022. 

The school has worked in collaboration with other schools since 2016 to try to maintain sixth-form provision.

Initially, it worked with Easingwold and Thirsk Schools, but this collaboration ended when Easingwold School joined the Outwood multi-academy trust. Since then, the school has collaborated with King James’s School in Knaresborough, and the two schools federated in January 2021. 

But due to the demographics of the area, pupil numbers at Boroughbridge High have decreased by more than 40% – from 756 in 2013-14 to 438 in 2022-23. During the same period, numbers in the sixth form have plummeted by 97%, from 131 to just 4, according to figures published by the council. 

Consequently, the federated governing board of Boroughbridge High School and King James’s School suspended the sixth form at Boroughbridge from September 2022. 

The latest request by the board would make that arrangement permanent. 

A council document published ahead of the meeting notes that “the school population is now stabilising and is projected to increase in future”, partly due to housebuilding in the area. But the school’s the governing body does not feel that numbers would be large enough to attract enough government funding that would enable a financially viable sixth form. 

The consultation as proposed would open on January 19 and close on March 1, and a final decision on the sixth form’s fate would be made by North Yorkshire Council on May 28 or June 18. 

Read more:

• Ofsted says Boroughbridge High School ‘requires improvement’
• Boroughbridge High School agrees to close sixth form
• Knaresborough’s King James’s School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

A Boroughbridge breakfast and after-school club has received a glowing Ofsted report.

Roboodles, which operates at Roecliffe Church of England Primary School, was described as “wonderful” by inspectors.

An inspection was carried out at the club in November this year.

Ofsted inspector Jan Batchelor said in a report just published:

“Leaders create a wonderful out-of-school club.

“[Children] chat together as they make jewellery, they concentrate as they paint Diwali pictures, and they use their imagination as they create imaginary worlds with dinosaurs.”

The inspection report found Roboodles consulted a nutritionist in providing healthy food for club members.

Ms Batchelor said:

“Children confidently explain to the inspector that they are allowed a drizzle of honey on their toast, not a river.”

Meanwhile, the report found that children were well behaved.

Ms Batchelor said:

“They know they must not run around outside ‘like headless chickens’, but they also know that the most important club rule is to have fun.”

Claire Bennett and Lianne Conroy, Roboodles business partners, said in a statement:

“Our recent Ofsted visit was our first.

“We are delighted with the inspectors report, which captures perfectly how Roboodles operates everyday.

We love what we do and feel very privileged to be able to share our time with the children in our care.”

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Roboodles is based in Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, and accepts children from reception to year 6.

The breakfast club runs weekday mornings between 7.30am to 8.50am.

The afterschool club runs Monday-Thursday between 3.30pm and 5.30pm, and on Fridays between 3.30pm and 5pm.