Ripley school praised for ‘swift and effective action’ to address inadequate rating

Leaders at Ripley Endowed Church of England Primary School have been praised by Ofsted for tackling the school’s inadequate rating.

The school was judged to be inadequate at its most recent full visit by government inspectors in November last year after three consecutive ‘requires improvement’ assessments.  The report was highly critical of the quality of education, leadership and early years provision.

The rating meant the school, which has about 50 pupils, was placed in special measures and forced to seek to join an academy.

Ofsted inspector Marcus Newby conducted a subsequent monitoring visit on November 8.

His report to interim co-executive headteacher Victoria Kirkman, published yesterday on Ofsted’s website, was full of praise for recent improvement efforts by the new leadership team.

Executive headteacher Victoria Kirkman

Victoria Kirkman

Although the previous judgement cannot be changed as part of a monitoring visit, meaning the school is still rated inadequate and in special measures, the report has raised hopes of an upgrade when the next full inspection is conducted.

The report to Ms Kirkman said “leaders have taken swift and effective action since the previous inspection” and said she had “instilled confidence in staff and parents”.

It said there had been “extensive changes to staffing” that have brought about “strength and stability”, adding:

“You have wasted no time in addressing the previous weaknesses of the school’s curriculum.

“The school’s existing approach to phonics and early reading is now taught with precision. Reading books match pupils’ phonic knowledge accurately. The strategies that children develop in their youngest years, such as segmenting and blending, are used with confidence. Pupils enjoy reading.”

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Ms Kirkman said:

“We are delighted with the outcome of the recent Ofsted monitoring visit at Ripley, which recognised the significant and rapid school transformation since the previous inspection.

“This is due to the hard work of all stakeholders in working together to ensure future success of the school and the life chances of  children in the federation. We now focus on the next  inspection and continue our relentless drive for further school improvement.”

Ms Kirkman is also executive headteacher at Admiral Long and Birstwith CE Schools, which have recently been inspected and judged as ‘good’ by Ofsted.

 

Cost of delayed Harrogate Hydro refurbishment increases by £1m

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed the cost of Harrogate Hydro‘s delayed refurbishment has increased by about £1 million to about £12.8 million.

The Stray Ferret reported this month the reopening of the leisure facility, originally scheduled for next month, had been pushed back until summer next year.

The council said this was due to discovering “some additional areas of work that could only have come to light when the building was closed and a strip-out of the internal fabric had taken place”.

In a press release today, the council gave a breakdown of the additional costs, which will be met by taxpayers. They are:

The refurbished Hydro will include a pool, new diving structure, 400 square metre fitness suite, sauna and steam suite and new reception and café, as well as a reconfigured car park, bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging points.

The existing gas boilers have been replaced with air-source heat pumps and 250 solar panels, along with new metering and energy monitoring and control systems, which are expected to halve the carbon footprint of the leisure centre.

Harrogate Hydro is among the facilities which will be run by the new leisure company.

How the Hydro used to look.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at the council-controlled Brimhams Active, said:

“At a time when some local authorities across the country are reviewing their investments in leisure facilities, we remain committed to ensuring people across the Harrogate district can keep fit and active for many years to come.

“By carrying out this additional work now, while the facility is closed, we can ensure the building is fit for purpose and can conform to the latest legislation and building regulations.

“And at a time of increasing energy costs, we are helping to offset this by making the leisure centre as energy-efficient as possible. And thanks to a government grant of some £1.8million, it will be able to utilise renewal energy.”

The council added the new leisure and wellness centre In Knaresborough was on target to open at the end next summer.

It will provide a six-lane 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and bicycle storage.

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Stray Ferret Business Awards: Does your business deserve the Inclusivity award?

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

First up is the Inclusivity Award, which is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors.

This award is designed to give vital recognition to a company that has demonstrated working practices with a proactive approach to inclusivity.

These businesses have made employees and customers feel welcome, safe and free to be themselves, regardless of nationalities, gender, race or sexual orientations.

Companies looking to enter for the Inclusivity Award need to provide details of its policy for inclusivity and, if applicable, provide and example where it has given significant support to an employee or customer.

By giving vital recognition to those who have inclusivity at the heart of their business, we hope others will follow their example.

Does your business deserve to win the Inclusivity Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

No normal service on Harrogate and Knaresborough trains until January 9

Rail operator Northern has warned of ongoing disruption until January 9.

The company, which operates the Leeds to York line that passes through Harrogate and Knaresborough, has published a calendar highlighting its travel guidance to customers over Christmas and the New Year.

It shows the next day of normal service is not for another 21 days.

Northern has blamed the situation predominantly on the RMT union, even though it only has strikes planned from January 3 to 7. However, an RMT national overtime ban from December 18 to January 2 has also affected services.

The union has accused the government of interfering in negotiations with Network Rail to reach a settlement on jobs, pay and conditions.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“The main cause of the disruption remains industrial action by the RMT union and we can only apologise to our customers for the inconvenience it will cause to their journeys.”

Northern’s new timetable came into effect just before this extended period of disruption, so it is advising customers to use the new Check My Timetable feature on its website to see the changes specific to their local station.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.

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Harrogate to host Comic Con Yorkshire 2023

Harrogate is set to host Comic Con Yorkshire in 2023 after details have been announced.

The convention, which is organised by Monopoly Events, will be held on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4, at the Yorkshire Events Centre.

The two-day event will run from 9am until 6pm each day.

Monopoly Events, which is hosting a similar event in Liverpool and Manchester, said it was aiming for a sell out convention.

Andy Kleek, CEO of Monopoly Events, said: 

“We want to build a solid sell out show over the next two years and make this into another one of our flagship Monopoly shows, for all our fans in the Yorkshire area. 

“We are very excited to be working with the Yorkshire Event Centre who have the same passion we do about building this event. 

“As with all our shows we have a three- year roadmap which we will be looking to extend for many years afterwards. Expect big guests, amazing set and prop builds, major attractions, cosplay, anime, traders, gaming and more.”

Heather Parry, managing director of the Yorkshire Event Centre, added: 

“We are delighted to be hosting this exciting new event and we look forward to working with Monopoly on its amazing debut in Yorkshire.”

Tickets for Comic Con Yorkshire 2023 are on sale now. For more information visit the convention website here.

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Further tributes paid to ‘stalwart’ Harrogate councillor who has died

Further tributes have been paid to a long-serving Harrogate councillor, who died just over a week ago.

Jim Clark, who was born in Arbroath and later moved to North Yorkshire, represented residents on both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

He represented the Harlow division on the county council for 20 years before stepping down in May.

Local politicians and residents have paid tribute to Mr Clark, who was well known in Harrogate, since his death.

Jane Blayney, a friend and former council colleague, described him as “very supportive” and dedicated to his local area.

She said:

“I knew him very well and he was very much a family man.

“He was very supportive of the Pinewoods and Friends of Valley Gardens. He was very supportive of the tree book, which would never have happened without his donation.

“Even though we were from different parties, we always worked in unison.”

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

“We are very sad to hear about the recent death of Jim Clark. As well as representing the Pinewoods area for both Harrogate council and North Yorkshire council, Jim was a dedicated committee member of Pinewoods Conservation Group for 15 years before standing down in 2018 as part of his retirement plans.

“Many will remember Cllr Clark’s passionate debate as part of the council’s refusal to grant a larger extension of Harrogate Spring Water into Rotary Woods. Jim was also a regular attendee at our various litter picks, planting events and balsam bashing, often seen in his Pinewoods fleece.

“We were also honoured that in 2014 when Mayor, Jim also opened our new picnic area and wildflower meadows in our Irongate Field area.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Meanwhile, Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate described Mr Clark as a “stalwart” of the council.

He said in a tweet:

“He was a stalwart of North Yorkshire council and Harrogate Borough Council and an effective and hard working representative who provided selfless public service for years.

“Lady Kirkhope joins these remarks and sympathy to his family.”

As well as a councillor, Mr Clark was a keen supporter of the arts and served as chairman of Harrogate Theatre for 10 years.

After standing down from the county council, Mr Clark had moved back to Scotland to be closer to family.

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Stray Views: Knaresborough gyms should provide ‘human-powered energy’

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

As Knaresborough is now to have the Pure Gym, as well as the existing gym in the old town hall, and the new leisure centre on Fysche Field, isn’t it time that the machines in these gyms were attached to electricity generators to provide human-powered energy for the town?

Shan Oakes, Knaresborough

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Nidderdale ‘poorly served’ by buses

This letter was submitted prior to leak fix

Nidderdale is poorly served by buses as it is, they are every two hours. But now, until the burst pipe is fixed there’s no bus running through Darley.

It’s not good enough just to cut out a huge chunk of the bus route and provide no alternative. It’s a four mile walk from Darley to Birstwith to pick up the bus there before and after it’s diversion. 

I have been quoted £30 for a taxi on Saturday morning at 7.30 am to get to Harrogate from Darley. The same to return is £60. They are having a laugh.

Helen Staniforth, Birstwith

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Harrogate homeless charity re-homes its 100th resident

A Harrogate homeless charity has celebrated rehousing its 100th resident in nearly 10 years.

Lifeline, which is based on East Parade, works in partnership with the Harrogate Homeless Project to help those who used to be homeless.

The charity was founded in 2013 and has since gone on to rehouse 100 people as part of its supported housing programme.

Speaking after the achievement, Carl Good, CEO of Lifeline Harrogate, said:

“This is such a special moment.”

“We have seen so many amazing changes in people’s lives and have supported many people into their own accommodation, many leaving Lifeline with jobs and hence a sustainable lifestyle.”

Lifeline residents out on a day trip

Lifeline residents out on a day trip

Mr. Good started the company with his wife Georgie because they wanted to help the homeless.

They recall meeting a man in the winter of 2011 who was sleeping in a tunnel on Bower Road.

He said:

“It really moved us both to think that we were going to a nice warm house and here was a man sat out in the cold.”

“It made us think much more deeply about the issue of homelessness.”

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Lifeline has six three-bedroom houses where they re-home their residents.

The houses are owned by Green Pastures, a national Christian housing social enterprise, and leased to the charity.

Residents will usually stay in the three-bedroom houses provided by Lifeline for up to a year.

However, Mr. Good told The Stray Ferret:

“There is no fixed time, we want to support them for independent living.”

 

Photo of the Week: Harrogate Ferris Wheel

This week’s photograph was taken by Nick Payne, capturing the lights and movement on the Ferris Wheel during this year’s Christmas Fraye.

 

Nick Payne

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Harrogate council error sees Pinewoods conservation miss out on over £30,000

Pinewoods Conservation Group has criticised Harrogate Borough Council after an administrative error meant £32,400 that should have been spent improving the woodland over the last 10 years was not allocated.

The council-owned Pinewoods is a 96-acre woodland close to Harrogate’s Valley Gardens popular with walkers. Although the area is managed by the council, the Pinewoods Conservation Group charity promotes its maintenance and conservation.

A flurry of new housing developments has occurred near to the Pinewoods in recent years. After being granted planning permission, developers agree to pay money to the council through section 106 agreements to improve local infrastructure.

Since 2019, Pinewoods Conservation Group has pressed the council to allocate some of this section 106 money to the Pinewoods to improve things like footpaths and signage.

After a council report in January revealed the authority had £3.7m in unspent section 106 money, the charity again asked it if any of this money could be spent on the Pinewoods before the council is abolished in 2023.

But in an email seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Tim Myatt, Conservative cabinet member for planning, told the charity this money had already been committed to other sites.

The charity responded by saying it was “very surprised” section 106 money would not be spent on the Pinewoods, “especially with the amount of building work underway and planned within the area”.

Pinewoods Harrogate

The Pinewoods

Cllr Myatt responded to the charity again this week to say that following an investigation by officers, the council found three instances when money, worth a combined valued of £32,400, should have gone to the Pinewoods but didn’t due to “administrative and processing” errors.

In the email, Cllr Myatt apologised and said the funds could have been “put to good use” by either Pinewoods Conservation Group or the council. He said:

“I would like to take the opportunity to apologise for this error, as it was an opportunity to bring external money to enhance the Pinewoods. I know that you will find this frustrating and I share this frustration.

“Whilst the monies would have been allocated to the space, not awarded directly to the conservation group, it could still have been put to good use by either the council or conservation group (were an enhancement scheme available for fund allocation).”

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said it was “very disappointed” the Pinewoods had missed out on the money due to the error. They added:

“These monies could have supported much needed improvement and conservation efforts for the benefit of visitors and residents.

“We are also disappointed that it took over three years from the charity first raising concerns with the council for the errors to acknowledged, and hopefully now corrected. However, we thank and acknowledge the efforts of Cllr Myatt in finally bringing this matter to a close.”

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A council spokesperson said:

“Due to an administrative processing error, monies were not collected from three developments via section 106 legal agreements that could have been spent on the Pinewoods.

“We have put measures in place to help prevent this from happening in the future.

“The monies do not go directly to the charity, but are earmarked for enhancements to Pinewoods. And as landowner, we continue to undertake woodland management and enhance the Pinewoods, in partnership with the charity.”