A petition calling for an investigation into the leadership of a Harrogate district school has been launched.
North Yorkshire Council has begun moves to close Fountains Earth Primary School in Lofthouse, near Pateley Bridge.
The school has no pupils left and although the council attributes this and a struggle to recruit teachers as key factors in opening a consultation on closure, parents say long-running leadership issues contributed to its decline.
They say pupil numbers were increasing until parents were alienated and poor leadership prompted them to send children elsewhere.
Their petition has already achieved 500 signatures.
Fountains Earth is part of the Upper Nidderdale Federation, which also includes Glasshouses Community Primary School and St Cuthbert’s Church of England Primary School in Pateley Bridge.
Parents previously said they were “devastated to have been left with no choice but to remove our children” and warned closure would “rip the heart” out of Lofthouse.
Now a petition, launched by Ashley Gatehouse, calls for “a full, objective and thorough investigation into the leadership of the Upper Nidderdale Federation”.
It says small rural schools foster community spirit and can deliver high quality education, when managed and governed appropriately.
The petition says:
“This investigation should carefully assess the leadership and management of the Upper Nidderdale Federation, including their academic performance, financial stability, community engagement and communication with parents.
“It is imperative that all relevant stakeholders, including parents and former parents, direct and non-direct contracted staff as well as local residents, have the opportunity to contribute their insights and concerns during this investigation process.
“We request that this matter is taken seriously and that the best interests of our community’s children are prioritised.
The petition concludes by urging the council to halt closure “until a full and thorough investigation has been conducted”.
The Stray Ferret asked the Upper Nidderdale Federation if it wished to respond to the parents’ claims.
A statement by co-governors Helen Nelson and Hugh Smith said:
“The autumn term started at Fountains Earth with no pupils on roll.
“Unfortunately, this is not an unprecedented situation in North Yorkshire and the governing body has looked at every possible option for the school to keep going.
“Without children, there will be no future per pupil funding for the school from April 2024.
“Taking everything into account, and having discussed the situation with officers at North Yorkshire Council and the Diocese of Leeds the governors took the heavy and sad decision to ask North Yorkshire Council to begin consultation on a proposal to close Fountains Earth school. This is a formal process led by North Yorkshire Council.”
Amanda Newbold, the council’s assistant director for education and skills, said:
Bonfire Night: guide to events in the Harrogate district“We very much recognise the problems of falling pupil numbers at small rural schools, which is an issue affecting a number of communities in North Yorkshire.
“Sadly, there are currently no children enrolled at Fountain’s Earth CE Primary School in Lofthouse in Nidderdale.
“After a challenging time for all, the school governors have made the difficult decision to begin the formal process of applying to the council for a consultation on proposed plans to close the school.
“The request will be formally considered in November. If a consultation is given the go-ahead, it would be undertaken later this year and include a public meeting.”
Bonfire Night is approaching. From torch-lit processions and alpacas to live music and traditional bonfires, we’ve collated a list of bonfires in the Harrogate district.
If you know of an event we haven’t included, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will add it.
Ripon City Bonfire
Ripon City Bonfire will take place at Ripon Racecourse.
The bonfire will be lit at 7pm and fireworks will begin at 7.30pm
Gates open at 5.30pm.
Advance tickets start at £2 and can be bought at various venues in the city.
No own fireworks other than sparklers are permitted for safety reasons.
There will be no parking available at the racecourse due to the poor weather conditions.
Spofforth village fireworks
The event will be held at Spofforth Cricket Club.
There will be hot food, a bar and live music to enjoy ahead of the fireworks display.
Gates open at 5pm.
Family tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought at the village deli or post office.
Knaresborough Cricket Club and Aspin Park Academy PTA Fireworks Night
The event will be held at Knaresborough Cricket Club.
As well as a firework display, guests can expect food and drink, music and light-up toys for sale.
Gates open at 6pm and fireworks will be lit at 7pm.
Tickets start at £3 and can be bought at the gate.
Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party
Belmont Grosvenor School will host a bonfire party in the school grounds.
There will be a bonfire, fireworks, food and drinks stalls, children’s activities, and music.
Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display will begin at 7.20pm.
Tickets are free for U18s and cost £10 for adults. They can be bought at the gate or by contacting the PTA on pta@belmontgrosvenor.co.uk or 07525 907156.
Anyone is welcome to attend.
Stray Bonfire. Pic: Mark Dimmock.
Stray Bonfire, Harrogate
The bonfire will be lit on the Oatlands Stray near to St Aidan’s Church of England High School.
It will take place from 5pm until 8.30pm and include fireworks, food and drink, and live music.
The event is free to attend but Harrogate Round Table, which is a charity, encourages donations. Proceeds will go towards Harrogate Homeless Project.
Yolk Farm, Minskip
Yolk Farm, near Boroughbridge, is hosting a dog and baby-friendly event without fireworks.
There will still be a bonfire and tickets include entry to the yard where visitors can see the animals, including goats and alpacas, as well as the opportunity to feed the pigs.
Hot food will also be on offer.
Gates open at 5.30pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm
Tickets can be bought online for £5.
Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire
The event will be held at Pateley Bridge Showground.
Guests can expect a torchlit procession and bonfire, which begin at 6.30pm, and fireworks at 7pm.
There will also be hot food and a best Guy competition.
Entry is by donation and doors open at 6pm.
No sparklers are allowed.
Masham Bonfire
Masham Bonfire will be held on The Holme.
Food will be served from 5.30pm, followed by the bonfire at 6.15pm.
There will also be a firework display at 7pm.
The event is free to attend.
Kirkby Malzeard Community Bonfire
The event will be held at North Close Farm.
There will be a bonfire, fireworks and food and drink on offer.
Gates open at 6pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm.
It is free to attend but organisers have asked for donations to continue running the events.
Sparklers are not permitted.
Birstwith Community Bonfire
Birstwith bonfire will be held on the field behind West House on Nidd Lane.
As well as the bonfire, which will be lit at 5.30pm, visitors can enjoy a bar, hot dogs and a children’s stall.
Organisers will be raising money for a vehicle-activated speed sign near Birstwith School.
No dogs or sparklers are permitted.
Gates open at 5pm.
Wath & Melmerby Community Bonfire
The event will be held Roger Clarke Motor Engines in Melmerby.
Visitors can expect a bonfire, fireworks, a BBQ and a bar.
It begins at 6pm and tickets cost £5 per family.
Lightwater Valley, Ripon
Lightwater Valley will put on a firework display accompanied by the music of Swan Lake.
Admission is included in a day entry ticket.
The display will begin at 5.15pm.
The Queen’s Head, Kettlesing
The Queen’s Head will have a bonfire and fireworks on offer.
There will also be pizzas, sparklers and a charity cake to stand available.
The event will be fundraising for Felliscliffe School.
It begins at 5pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6pm.
Entry is £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16.
Scotton Cricket Club
The event will be held at the cricket club on Lower Moor Lane.
Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.45pm and the firework display will begin at 7.30pm.
Visitors can look forward to a bar, a BBQ and a cake stall.
Car parking is limited, so organisers have recommended people walk or car share to the event.
Donations are welcome on entry.
Harrogate Railway Football Club
A firework display will be held at the club, which is on Station View in Starbeck.
There will be a DJ, fairground rides, a bar and a BBQ on offer.
The event is in association with Friends of Starbeck School and entry is £2.
Gates open at 4pm, followed by fireworks at 6.30pm.
There is no parking available at the venue.
Fresh plan to convert pub near Pateley Bridge into a cottage
Fresh plans have been lodged to convert a 110-year-old former pub near Pateley Bridge into a cottage.
The Birch Tree, at Lupton Bank in Glasshouses, closed its doors back in March 2020 due to the covid pandemic.
Since then, the former pub has been subject to numerous planning applications to convert it into a cottage.
However, the plans were refused by Harrogate Borough Council planners on the grounds that the loss of the pub “was not justified”.
Latest proposals tabled to North Yorkshire Council would see the empty public house changed into a two-bedroom cottage.
The site has already seen three cottages built under a previous planning permission, with the pub reduced in size.
In planning documents for the fresh proposal, which was submitted by Yarntex Two Limited, the developer said the building had been put on the market without success.
It said:
“Sadly, there appears to be no viable future for the pub and provision of a further holiday cottage to supplement and enhance the others is surely the best option for the building, while still promoting local tourism and employers and making a positive contribution to the local economy.”
The developer added that the site had been marketed extensively without success by both Christie and Co and Hopkinsons Estate Agents.
It said that “no local interest or expressions of interest from further afield have been forthcoming”.
North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the latest plan at a later date.
Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas
This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.
The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.
Please read Flora’s story below and give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. They need your help.
Christmas is a time to create happy memories, to connect with family and enjoy each other’s company. But Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease take those memories away, and life can become confusing and isolating.
Local charity Dementia Forward works to support people living with these life-changing and disabling conditions, but it can only do so with the help of charitable donations.
So this Christmas, the Stray Ferret is asking you to support to this local organisation and ensure it can continue to offer the vital services it provides.
We want to raise £30,000 to buy a new minibus so that Dementia Forward can carry on bringing people struggling with memory loss to social events and a supportive environment.
The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare, so every penny donated will go directly to Dementia Forward.
The charity’s minibus service is currently used by more than 50 people. It also takes them on days out across the county, which is a huge part of the Dementia Forward programme. It is used to help people access the charity’s social events for those that can no longer drive, as well as weekly day trips for those with young onset dementia. The group visits a variety of places, including the Yorkshire coast, nature reserves, walking trails, llama farms, art galleries and so much more.
However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and tired and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.
Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.
Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward to help us hit our £30,000 target.
Over the next seven weeks, we’ll be bringing you stories that show just how important Dementia Forward is, and the impact it has on local people’s lives.
Please read them, share them, and donate whatever you can.
Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas.
Thank you.
The NHS found 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 are living with dementia in the UK. For those who need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.
Vida Healthcare offers specialist residential and nursing care across three state-of-the-art homes.
James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, said:
“We’re delighted to be supporting the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal in aid of Dementia Forward.
“It is such an amazing local charity supporting people living with dementia.”
Harrogate district school unable to find new teacher for five years
A Harrogate district school facing closure has found it impossible to recruit a single permanent teacher for five years, according to North Yorkshire Council.
The council has recommended consulting on whether to close Fountains Earth Church of England Primary School in Lofthouse, near Pateley Bridge, on March 31 next year.
Elected councillors will vote whether to accept the recommendation next week.
The council claims the decision is largely due to falling pupil numbers, and with no children remaining on the roll the decision appears a formality.
But villagers claim they have been let down by the council and the Upper Nidderdale Federation, which the school is part of, and say closure will rip the heart out of Lofthouse.
The federation also includes St Cuthbert’s in Pateley Bridge and Glasshouses Primary School. The three schools share one headteacher.
A report by council officers ahead of next week’s vote said “it has not been possible to recruit a permanent teacher” for the last five years.
It attributes this to the school’s remote location as well as difficulty finding someone capable of teaching a wide range of ages and abilities from reception pupils to year six.
The report adds:
“Staff retention has also proved difficult with a high turnover of staff over the last five years resulting in use of agency staff which comes with increased staffing costs.
“The school is just over six miles from Pateley Bridge at the top end of Nidderdale which, by virtue of the local road, can be a slow journey as part of a longer commute for staff.”
The report added supply staff only need to give a day’s notice, which caused further disruption.
It said:
“Recruitment of the right people is a time-consuming activity which has required a substantial amount of the federation’s senior leadership team resource over the past few years.”
Fountains Earth was rated ‘good’ at its most recent full Ofsted inspection in April 2017.
The school’s governing board recently approached the council to request consultation on a proposal to close the school after all pupils had transferred to other schools by the start of the current academic year in September.
Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, the council’s Conservative executive member for education, learning and skills, will decide whether to trigger a five-week consultation starting in November.
Cllr Wilkinson said:
“North Yorkshire maintains more small, rural schools than any other local authority in the country. Sadly, the reality is that many of our schools, particularly those in rural areas, are seeing pupil numbers reduce year-on-year.
“Fountains Earth Primary School is among the rural schools finding itself in a difficult position, particularly around pupil numbers and funding, and I will consider these issues carefully when deciding if a public consultation should proceed.”
29 sheep stolen from field near Pateley Bridge
A total of 29 sheep have been stolen from a field near Pateley Bridge.
The sheep were taken from land next to Duck Street Lane at Greenhow between Tuesday October 10 and October 22, North Yorkshire Police said today.
Officers appealed for witnesses and information, particularly any suspicious movements of wagons or farm vehicles with trailers in the area.
Duck Street Lane
They urged anyone with information to dial 101 and ask for Dave Mackay or to email David.mackay@northyorkshire.police.uk
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12230201258.
Stump Cross Caverns to feature in Channel 5 programme
Stump Cross Caverns near Pateley Bridge is set to feature in a well-known Channel 5 programme next week.
The Hotel Inspector, which is led by former hotelier Alex Polizzi, offers guidance to hotels and businesses on how to redirect themselves and avoid closing down.
Lisa Bowerman, owner of Stump Cross Caverns, told the Stray Ferret she saw a post from Channel 5 on Facebook looking for businesses to be part of the show.
She said:
“I was scrolling Facebook in February, and I noticed an advert calling for any business who needed help during these unprecedented times, including tourist attractions, to get in touch.
“We had watched The Hotel Inspector and had seen how Alex could turn businesses around, so I emailed straight away!”
The caverns have been open since 1860, but Ms Bowerman has been running the business for the last 20 years.
However, she added “after that long you don’t always see the things that need changing”.
“I applied because I was on my knees – I was knackered — I really needed an expert opinion on how to redirect the business into profitability.”
A spokesperson from Channel 5 said Alex quickly realised the business needed “streamlining and smartening”.
The filming finished towards the end of June and Alex’s “formidable force” has made a “massive difference to the business”, Ms Bowerman added.
“I cannot begin to tell you what it meant to have the expert support and guidance and motivation of Alex and her team.
“We will be forever grateful, and it will be something I never forget. Alex’s guidance has made us realise our mistakes.
“The changes have been successful, and we now feel we are on the right path.”
The episode will air next Tuesday, October 24, at 9pm on Channel 5.
Police enquiries continue into Pateley Bridge petrol station attempted arson
Police enquiries are ongoing into an attempted arson at a petrol station in Pateley Bridge.
The incident happened between 1.45am and 2.45am on Sunday, May 14, at the Dales Market Corner petrol station in the town.
Officers at North Yorkshire Police said two men walked onto the forecourt, placed a backpack in the area and set it alight. The backpack then self-extinguished.
The force has confirmed that enquiries into the incident remain ongoing.
It comes as two men were arrested in connection with the attempted arson following the incident.
Dales Market Corner petrol station in Pateley Bridge.
A 36-year-old man was arrested on May 14 on suspicion of arson and criminal damage. He was interviewed and later released on conditional bail.
A second man, 45, was arrested on June 5 in connection with the incident. He was bailed while enquiries continue.
Meanwhile, police have reiterated an appeal to the public to get in touch if they have any information or can identify the man in CCTV images issued by the force.
A police statement added:
“Anyone with any information that could assist the investigation is asked to email Jill.Cowling@northyorkshire.police.uk or you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Jill Cowling.
“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Please quote reference number 12230086186 when passing on information.”
Photo of the Week: Greenhow Hill
This week’s photograph was taken by Sue Whitaker, capturing the view from Greenhow Hill near Pateley Bridge.
Sue Whitaker
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.
Despite leaden skies, thousands of people flocked to yesterday’s Nidderdale Show.
The event, which celebrated its 151st anniversary this year, is organised by Nidderdale Agricultural Society.
It is held annually at Pateley Bridge Showground and marks the end of the local agricultural show season.
Last year, it was moved from its traditional Monday slot to a Sunday to avoid clashing with Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and proved such a success organisers decided to stick to the Sunday.
Visitors could enjoy a range of classes, from cattle and sheep to showjumping and pigs, as well as rabbit and pigeon displays, dry-stone walling and a band parade.
Here are some photos of the day in case you missed it.
Just two of the many prize-winning pigeons.
York North & West of Yore Hunt and hound demonstration.
The Wharfedale Terrier Racing team.
The brass band performed in the high-street parade and throughout the day.
Rebecca Richards, 8, and sister Jess, 6, showed their sheep in the young shepherd/shepherdess class.
Proud parents gathered to watch their little ones in the young handlers class.
