A new Harrogate charity has set up with the ambitious goal of breaking the stigma around second hand school clothes.

The Village Harrogate held its first ever “Uniform Swap Shop” this month where parents can pick up clothes for their children.

As well as taking new clothes, parents can also donate their children’s old school uniforms. The clothes are bundled up in bags and the volunteers all wear protective visors to keep families safe.

Jessica Price, the manager at The Village Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret that the charity has been inundated with requests:

“It was great to meet so many new people and start to build up a real community. The people who turned up were so happy that we had set up. Harrogate is such a lovely place but there are a lot of underlying issues that many people don’t recognise.”

Ms Price added that, in her own experience from raising four children, buying new uniform on a regular basis can add up to a lot of money.

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It comes after the Children’s Society 2020 report on school uniform found that parents were spending three times more than what they expected.

“The Wrong Blazer” report also highlighted how children wearing the wrong uniform can lead to bullying, isolation or exclusion.

The Village Harrogate, formerly known as Baby Basics, also runs a baby bank where new families in need can pick up starter packs. They are filled with nappies, clothes and wipes but the charity also has toys, cots and other equipment available.

Anyone who wants to get in touch with the charity with donations or requests can send an email by clicking here.

The “Uniform Swap Shop” will be held outside West Park United Reformed Church once a month. The organisers have not yet set up the October meeting but will post a date on their Facebook page.

North Yorkshire County Council is set to consult on a new primary school in Knaresborough.

In a report before the council tomorrow (September 15), the authority said it was minded to build a new school in response to growth in housing in the town.

It comes as 600 new homes are to be built at Manse Farm in the town. The new school is proposed to be a free school with 210 places as well as a nursery.

County councillors granted planning permission for the school back in June and will decide tomorrow whether to consult on taking the development forward. The report advises that it is “good practice” to consult the community on the specifics of the new school proposal, even after the planning process has been completed.

If approved, the consultation will run for four weeks from September 23. The county council will also consult on a new school for Northallerton.

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The authority said the intention was to open the schools in September 2022, however this will be kept under review in light of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The report due before councillors tomorrow said:

“The county council is planning to maintain school place sufficiency in Knaresborough and Northallerton through the addition of two new primary schools. 

“These are primarily to serve housing growth through two main sites known locally as Manse Farm, Knaresborough, and North Northallerton.”

Schools across the district are preparing to reopen next week, with new measures including face masks and separating year groups in place as covid restrictions continue.

Among those to have announced the adaptations it will make is Harrogate Grammar School, which will reopen on Monday, September 7 with a number of “significant changes” in place to ensure safety and limit coronavirus outbreaks.

The school has re-organised classrooms and the cafeteria, staggered lunch and finish times and put in place a contingency plan for those needing to self-isolate. Additional cleaning staff have also been hired.

The grammar school will open to staff on September 7 and spread the full reopening for students over the next three days. All year groups will return by September 10.

Neil Renton, headteacher of Harrogate Grammar School, said:

“Work has taken place over the summer period to ensure that school is ready to safely welcome our students back in September. One of the most significant changes that students will experience when they return are the year group groupings. In addition, we have developed a contingency plan for remote education where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate. This plan draws on all our learning and development during lockdown.

“We very much recognise that children will experience a variety of emotions in response to the coronavirus outbreak such as anxiety, stress or low mood. We will continue to support students through a variety of well-being initiatives, pastoral support and our emphasis on positive relationships.”

Students will be spaced out to allow for appropriate distancing between staff and pupils.

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Parents in the district had previously called for further information regarding safety measures within schools ready for the new term to begin.

New government advice says children within “hot spot” areas are to wear face masks in congested areas such as corridors. The current number of cases in Harrogate means this is not expected be put into action in local schools next week.

As some primary schools across the district prepare to reopen next week, parents discuss whether they are sending their children back to school.

The government says schools should look to re-open for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 from June 1.

A mum from Harrogate told the Stray Ferret that she does ‘not see a way’ to be able to send her 6-year-old son who has Downs Syndrome back to school.

Wendy Puckrin’s son, Elijah, is in year 1 at Kettlesing Primary School in Harrogate.

The government says schools should begin reopening for children in nursery, reception, year one and year six, from 1 June. This would mean Elijah could return to school, but for Wendy, this would be very hard:

” I’m not saying homeschooling is going well, but I just don’t see a way he could social distance. He needs human contact to feel secure, he needs cuddles and he just doesn’t understand… He’s a beautiful little kid and I don’t want that trauma for him at such an early stage in life.”