Covid testing sites in Harrogate district to close next week

Covid testing sites across North Yorkshire, including on Tower Street in Harrogate and Ripon’s coach park, will be closed next week.

As free testing comes to an end from Friday, April 1, the last day for the testing sites to operate will be Wednesday, March 30, North Yorkshire County Council‘s Outbreak Management Advisory Board heard today.

Cllr Michael Harrison, the county council’s executive member for adult services and health integration, asked whether testing would still be made available for care homes and other key groups, such as schools, but was told an announcement on this had not been made yet. There was also no information about any free testing for care and education settings.

Public health consultant Victoria Turner said:

“I think it’s fair to say that is the one we are going to be looking at most closely. We are expecting care guidance coming out next week as well on this.

“From what was said in February we expect there to be some symptomatic testing remaining for care home staff but that’s about as detailed a picture as we get at the moment. Care homes are going to be the one area we still have a particular focus on from April 1.

“We are still seeing quite a lot of outbreaks in care settings, or rather whenever there’s a high degree of community transmission there’s an inevitability that that does affect care settings as well.

“We were hoping that we could have done some of that planning before April 1 but unfortunately the guidance just isn’t out yet.”

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The outbreak management advisory board, which was set up to recommend on the county’s covid response and communications, has also been stood down. It had been meeting monthly but members agreed there was little need to continue as national restrictions were removed.

However, the group said it will remain in abeyance, rather than being disbanded, so it can be brought back into action if required, such as with the emergence of a new variant.

Infection rate almost trebles this month

At present, cases are still rising, though at a slower rate than previously.

The Harrogate district’s infection rate, which was 343 per 100,000 people at the start of the month, is now at 923.

Hospitalisations are also rising at a slower rate, with 30 patients with covid currently being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Deaths among people who have tested positive for covid within the last 28 days remain steady, at an average of one each day across North Yorkshire.

Richard Webb, corporate director of health and adult services, said:

“Many of us are continuing to work on the impact of acute and long-term covid in many different ways.”

Meanwhile, covid vaccination centres are preparing to begin giving spring booster jabs to over-75s, and vulnerable children aged between five and 11 in the county are now being given their first doses.

£5,000 grants available to schools and parish councils

Bettys and Taylors Family Fund is inviting parish councils and schools to apply for grants of up to £5,000.

The fund supports Yorkshire-based groups working to improve the lives of local children and young people through food.

Cookery courses, healthy eating initiatives and food hygiene are examples of the kind of schemes eligible for funding.

Grants range from £500 to £5,000 and must benefit people living in Yorkshire.

Parish councils and schools are eligible to apply providing the grant is used for purposes outside their usual remit.

As Bettys and Taylors is a food and hospitality business, the fund aims to support local food-based projects.

The fund opened for applications this week and closes on April 28. Groups will find out by mid-June if they have been successful.

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Council to pilot banning cars outside North Yorkshire schools

Cars could be banned on streets directly outside many schools at drop-off and pick-up times to improve safety, encourage active travel and cut pollution.

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to examine the impacts of the Department Of Transport-backed School Streets initiative over 18 months, just weeks after ratifying a new 20mph zone policy, under which the authority has undertaken to scrutinise where it could lower speed limits outside schools.

While the move followed years of pressure from road safety campaigners calling for blanket 20mph zones across all built-up areas in the county, the authority has insisted such action would not be suitable everywhere.

The authority’s executive member for access, Cllr Don Mackenzie, said it hoped if a Safer Streets pilot outside Seamer and Irton Community Primary School was successful, that the initiative would complement the council’s 20mph zone policy.

The trial would involve the school placing a ‘Road Closed’ sign across the road by the school at the appropriate times.

However, an officer’s report on the proposal states while North Yorkshire Police would be responsible for enforcing road closures, the force had advised that “it is supportive of School Streets, but could not resource enforcement”.

The council officer’s report states:

“An appropriately applied scheme should minimise the risk of regular contravention and enforcement issues.”

It states the trial will be judged on whether it has led to an increase in active travel, cut traffic speeds and volumes in the area and the impact on the surrounding community and environment, but it was anticipated Schools Streets would not be appropriate for the majority of locations.

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The move comes weeks after a Transport for London study of 300 established School Streets found most people believed the vehicle bans had pushed congestion and parking issues elsewhere, while the lack of enforcement created safety concerns.

Coun Mackenzie said introducing restrictions in front of schools could displace parking problems elsewhere, but added:

“I would rather have the problem removed from in front of schools because that is an area that deserves more protection than any other.”

“We fully appreciate, and I personally understand, why the police have areas of greater concern to them to enforce than 20mph limits. In North Yorkshire we have very very few road traffic incidents involving injury in our built-up areas where there is a 30mph limit.

“We’re looking at other interventions to improve safety outside schools, to persuade people not to park in front of schools, or even worse, to drop their children off and leave the engine running.

“If this pilot is successful we will look to introduce it in many other locations in front of schools.”

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe said decisions on how North Yorkshire Police enforced any restrictions put in place were operational ones for the chief constable and her team.

She said:

“North Yorkshire Police will always prioritise those areas where there is greatest risk to road users and will deliver on road safety enforcement activity where appropriate with partners.

“Once decisions are made by the county council, I am sure all groups and organisations in the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership will come together to discuss how any School Streets projects can be implemented and supported as part of the wider delivery of the recently published Safer Roads Strategy.”

Concern over lack of consultation on proposed Boroughbridge sixth form closure

Town and parish councillors in Boroughbridge High School’s catchment area have concerns about the level of consultation on the proposed closure of the sixth form.

The school held a consultation between mid-November and mid-December on the proposal, which would see all sixth form courses and pastoral support transfer to King James’s School in Knaresborough for two years from September.

The two schools federated last year, which means they have a single governing body overseeing both schools.

Staff, students, parents/carers and governors were asked for their thoughts on suspending the sixth form.

But local councils have concerns the consultation was not wide enough.

Boroughbridge Town Council met with a school governor on Tuesday.

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According to sources, councillors told the governor they had not been consulted and requested another meeting with more representatives from the school.

They said nearby Langthorpe Parish Council and Kirby Hill and District Parish Council share the same concerns.

No meeting date has been set yet. However, councillors plan to quiz the school on how it can increase student uptake, its future plans and what the two-year suspension would mean in practice.

The Stray Ferret asked the federation of governors whether a decision has been made following its meeting on the consultation last week.

The chair declined to comment until all parents and carers have been informed.

However, the school is expected to announce its decision shortly.

Ripley primary school seeks to join academy after ‘inadequate’ rating

A primary school in Ripley rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted this week is in negotiations to join an academy.

Ofsted’s report said parents valued Ripley Endowed C of E Primary School but was highly critical of the quality of education, leadership and early years provision.

The government schools inspector added that pupils were often distracted because work is too easy or too hard and “achieve far less than they should”.

North Yorkshire County Council, the local authority responsible for education, said today it was working with the school governors and interim school leaders to make improvements at the 49-pupil school.

The council also revealed that it was talking to the Diocese of Leeds and the regional schools commissioner to find an academy sponsor.

Academies are funded directly by the government and are run by an academy trust. Academy sponsors work with the trust to improve the performance of the school.

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Ripley is currently part of a federation of three schools, along with Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School and Beckwithshaw Community Primary School.

Putting in place improvements

Amanda Newbold, the assistant director for education and skills said:

“We are currently working with governors and interim school leaders to put in place the necessary improvements.

“The county council is working with the Diocese of Leeds and the regional schools commissioner to find an academy sponsor and to ensure the school has strong governance in place during this period of transition.

“We will work closely with the school, the wider community, parents, carers and pupils as we approach the next chapter for the school.”

Ofsted inspectors visited the school over two days in November 2021 when they observed lessons, spoke to pupils informally and met parents at the start of the day.

Here is how the inspectors came to the overall ‘inadequate’ rating:

Ofsted rates Ripley primary school as ‘inadequate’

Ofsted has rated Ripley Endowed C of E Primary School as ‘inadequate’ for the first time in the school’s history.

The 49-pupil school had a ‘good’ rating in 2011 but subsequently received ‘requires improvement’ ratings in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

The latest report, published yesterday, says pupils feel safe, safeguarding arrangements are effective and parents value the school. It also says pupils are polite and well mannered and there is no bullying in school.

But it is highly critical of the quality of education, leadership and early years provision. It is also critical of behaviour and attitudes and personal development.

Pupils, says Ofsted, are often distracted because work is too easy or too hard and “achieve far less than they should”.

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‘Inadequate’ is the lowest of four possible ratings. The report says:

“Ripley Endowed Church of England School is a warm and caring school. Pupils feel safe here. They support, help and care for each other.

“Parents value the school and the staff that work here. The quality of education that pupils receive is inadequate.

“Despite the teachers wanting the pupils to achieve, the curriculum is not designed or planned well enough to support them to do this.”

Ofsted inspectors visited the school over two days in November 2021 when they observed lessons, spoke to pupils informally and met parents at the start of the day.

Here is how the inspectors came to the overall ‘inadequate’ rating:

The Stray Ferret approached Ripley Endowed C of E Primary School for its response to the Ofsted rating. We were directed to North Yorkshire County Council, the local education authority, but it did not respond by the time of publication.

Ripley is part of a federation of three schools. The other two schools are Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School and Beckwithshaw Community Primary School.

Harrogate competitive festival returns seeking new competitors

The Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama is set to return this year after a break due to covid.

The festival, which featured nearly 2,000 competitors when it was last held in full in 2019, will run over three weekends in March. The deadline for submitting entries is this Saturday.

Previous winners have gone on to perform in West End shows and compete in BBC Young Musician and BBC Radio 2 Chorister of the Year.

This year, young champions of music, speech and drama have the added incentive of a £250 prize and an invitation to a residential course in their respective disciplines.

The competition was cut short in 2020 by the first national lockdown and was cancelled in 2021.

With nearly 200 different categories to enter, festival chairman Paul Dutton hopes there is something for everyone this year:

“We have missed being part of Harrogate’s cultural legacy, it is one of the most prestigious arts events in Harrogate but, this year we are back with a bang. We really don’t want people to miss this opportunity to be part of our amazing festival.”

Paul Dutton

Paul Dutton

The festival began in 1936 as a music competition run by the borough council and a voluntary committee. Since then, the categories have expanded into speech and drama and the festival is now run entirely by volunteers as a registered charity.

The festival will take place at Harrogate High School over the first three weekends of March.

Further information is available here and hard copies of the syllabus can be found at local music shops and libraries.

 

Harrogate headteachers ‘nervous’ as schools return during covid surge

Harrogate headteachers say they are “nervous” about this week’s return to school as covid testing and face masks are reintroduced to minimise disruption during an expected rise in infections.

Secondary school pupils will now have to wear masks in class as well as in communal areas to help tackle the spread of the Omicron variant.

All students will also be expected to take an on-site test and complete twice-weekly testing from home under rules reintroduced by the government in response to surging cases.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said that although infections amongst staff and students were currently low, a rise was expected and this could lead to extra measures including entire year groups learning from home. He said:

“We have got seven staff who have tested positive, but this is not enough to significantly disrupt our provision.

“At this stage we are fine, but we are nervous and do have some trepidations about the term ahead.

“We had a point before Christmas where 30 staff members were off due to covid. We didn’t have to close year groups, but it was very tight.

“This is not new to us as for the past almost two years we have had significant disruptions.

“I’m confident we can continue to deal with this. Where I have a nervousness is if staff absences become so high we have to make a decision on whether it would be better to send a year group home.

“This is a decision I and many other headteachers may have to wrestle with in the coming weeks.”

Sylvia Brett, principal at Harrogate Ladies’ College, also said plans were in place to deal with any disruptions, including the recruitment of supply staff and combining classes. She said:

“We will do everything we possibly can to continue to deliver the high quality of education our pupils and families expect during these difficult times.”

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The return to school comes as there is a further push for staff and more young people to get vaccinated.

Latest figures show 77% of 16 to 17-year-olds and 58% of 12 to 15-year-olds in the Harrogate district have received vaccines which are being made available at sites including the Great Yorkshire Showground, Ripon Racecourse and local pharmacies.

Support to schools

After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the government is currently planning for exams to go ahead as normal this summer.

Stuart Carlton, corporate director of children and young people’s services at North Yorkshire County Council, said support would be offered to schools throughout the year and that the top priority was to ensure all students receive face-to-face education “where possible”. He said:

“Being educated in the classroom, among their friends and with the support of teaching staff, is the best place for pupils.

“Schools have worked hard to ensure they remain safe places and to minimise the spread of the virus, with the support of the council.

“We have provided updated risk assessment templates with the latest government guidance for education settings in the county.

“Schools have access to public health colleagues for advice and we are providing support and guidance in other areas such as health and safety, human resources and property issues.”

Harrogate district schools see ‘large rise’ in obesity since covid

Schools in the Harrogate district have raised concerns about increasing rates of childhood obesity since the start of covid.

A report to be discussed by North Yorkshire County Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee tomorrow says there has been “a decline in the healthiness and quality of packed lunches and snacks being brought into schools”.

It adds that “many schools” in North Yorkshire have raised concerns about covid’s impact on children’s eating habits and obesity levels.

Eighty percent of respondents to a council food in schools survey in October last year wanted the healthiness of food in school to improve.

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New guidance to schools

In response to the concerns, the county council has developed a new leaflet for parents and carers preparing packed lunches.

The leaflet provides healthy alternatives and is currently rolling out in schools as part of a pilot scheme.

The council also runs various other healthy eating initiatives, such as encouraging healthier catering in schools, using free range eggs in schools and ensuring school meals are free from undesirable additives, colouring and sweeteners.

The report says:

“There is a lot of work currently underway across North Yorkshire to promote healthy eating with children, young people and families. Much of this work is linked to efforts to tackle childhood obesity but of course, good nutrition is about much more than just healthy weight management.

“In terms of childhood obesity, North Yorkshire’s rates have seen a large increase since the start of the covid pandemic, reflecting the alarming levels of around a 4.5% national increase in obesity rates.

“Furthermore, many North Yorkshire schools have reported concerns around the detrimental impact that the pandemic has had on children’s weight and eating habits.

“Schools have seen a decline in the healthiness and quality of packed lunches and snacks being brought into schools, and have requested support in terms of improving standards and with bringing the quality and healthiness of their own food provision and catering back to pre-pandemic levels.”

Harrogate district students can apply to £1,000 fund to pay for books

Harrogate district students studying away from home can apply for a grant to help pay for books, equipment or travel costs.

Any student currently taking a post-16 education course at a school, college or university outside of the Harrogate borough is eligible to apply.

The fund, which is administered by North Yorkshire County Council, has been made available by Haywra Crescent Educational Trust following the sale of a former education property in Haywra Crescent, Harrogate.

This year the trust has around £1,000 in total to distribute to students.

Further information and application forms are available by emailing post16@northyorks.gov.uk

The closing date for applications is January 31.

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