Carl Sugden, headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough, will leave tomorrow after 15 years in charge of the secondary school.

Mr Sugden first came to Knaresborough as deputy headteacher aged 33 in April 2000.

He left in 2005 before relinquishing his role as head of Sherburn High School, at Sherburn-in-Elmet to succeed David Hudson as headteacher of King James’s in 2008.

The 1,575-pupil Knaresborough school was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted this year.

Clare Martin, principal of Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, will succeed Mr Sugden as head at the start of the summer term on April 17.

Mr Sugden said he had totted up that he had done about 600 assemblies, 400 staff briefings, 13 founder’s says, 80 prize-givings and 2,500 bus duties, adding:

“And I even managed to keep teaching history until just about the end. That is what I will miss the most, being in the classroom with our young people.”

Mr Sugden said:

“The school is a great community and there is a special history and ethos here, which I have tried to nurture and to maintain.

“I’m immensely proud of what this school has achieved, with the support of many great colleagues, over the past few years. In particular the challenges of the pandemic, and the post pandemic, which  stretched us to the limit.

“When you look back at the last three years it is incredible what we all dealt with; lockdown, key workers’ children supervision, online learning, lateral flow tests, bubbles, centre assessed grades, masks and vaccinations.”

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He said that for all the challenges, he didn’t regret a moment:

“It has been fulfilling and I am grateful to have worked in such a vibrant education community. I am not retiring, I will continue to work in education, but I plan to have a little more time to do some of the things I enjoy.”

Mr Sugden praised colleagues for “doing a pretty amazing job, going above and beyond to deliver a very high quality of education and enrichment opportunities” despite “extreme funding pressures”.

He wished Ms Martin well.

“Clare and I worked together back in the early 2000s, when she was, like me, a young teacher at King James’s.

“She has a strong track record as a deputy head and headteacher in schools in Leeds and Bradford. I wish her all the very best in the new role.”

This story is sponsored by Ashville College.

At Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep and Ashville Prep School, passionate and experienced teachers provide an encouraging and safe environment where children can be creative and curious, discover their strengths and interests, and are known and appreciated as individuals.

Parents with children aged two to 11 are encouraged to come along to the Acorns and Prep School Open Doors event on Tuesday February 7, 2023. Here are just some of the ways we help children to thrive:

1. We take the classroom outside

Ashville’s pioneering Outdoor Learning programme gets kids out into the fresh air, makes tricky curriculum topics easier to understand, and teaches problem solving and teamwork skills for life. Outdoor Learning Specialist Teacher and Consultant, Mr Paul Oldham, said:

“I have seen first-hand that outdoor lessons work. When you take children out of an enclosed room and into the outdoors, you open so many possibilities.”

Outdoor learning with Mr Paul Oldham

2. We provide confidence-boosting opportunities

Whether it’s taking part in an informal music concert, representing the school as part of the Swim Squads, or getting creative for a good cause in Charity Club, children get the opportunity to boost their confidence and shine in the areas they enjoy the most.

Pupils can choose to take on positions of responsibility from a young age, such as House Captains and members of the Prep School Parliament, helping to develop their leadership skills and appreciation for the ideas and opinions of their peers.

3. Pupils are part of a wider community

Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep and Ashville Prep School are part of Ashville College, an all-through school up to the age of 18. A sense of community is nurtured from the start; from enjoying lunch together in the Dining Hall to cheering each other on at numerous Competitive House events.

There are regular vertical links between Senior School and Prep School for the delivery of subjects such as Modern Foreign Languages, Music and PE, and achievements are celebrated, such as the Head Teacher Award, for pupils who go over and above in their contributions to the Ashville community.

Year 3, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Day

4. Regular, memorable experiences aren’t a one-off thing

Whether it’s the classroom being transformed into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, taking part in a real-life magic trick, toasting cinnamon-coated apple slices around a fire pit, or a trip to the Leeds Playhouse, no two school days are the same at Ashville.

You only go to school once, and the teachers ensure that each lesson is fun, stimulating and memorable, to nurture that love of learning every day.

5. Pupils love their School

When you see pupils skipping down the corridor for break, or getting involved in a learning activity, they exude positivity. From our youngest pupils in Little Acorns to our most ‘senior’ Prep pupils in Year 6, you can tell they’re happy to be here.

Pupils in Little Acorns

Mrs Charlotte Cryer, Head of Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep, which covers ages two to five, said:

“The beauty of an ‘Open Doors’ event is that it enables parents to see happy and engaged children taking part in activities and see the staff in action too. A child is the most valuable thing in a parent’s life, so they need to be able to trust the people they’re handing them over to.”

Mr Asa Firth, Head of Ashville Prep School, added:

“The children at Ashville Prep School inspire me on a daily basis; they are polite, confident and open minded. I am very proud of our School and how it has developed since my arrival last April.”

We would love to see you on 7 February. Take a tour, see our pupils on a normal teaching day, meet the staff, and find out more about how to apply. To sign up, click here.

Ofsted has given Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School a ‘good’ rating for the first time since March 2011.

Inspectors published the report yesterday after a visit to the school last month. They rated the 120-pupil school ‘good’ in all areas. ‘Good’ is the second highest of four possible ratings, with ‘outstanding’ the best.

It follows two previous ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted ratings in 2016 and 2018.

Leaders at the school, the report says, have “galvanised the staff team and secured improvements to the quality of education and pupils’ behaviour.”

The report said:

“Pupils enjoy attending Kirby Hill Primary School. The school’s embedded Christian values help to foster pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and to caring relationships.

“Pupils have a strong understanding of diversity and celebrate other people’s differences.

“Pupils behave well in lessons and enjoy playing together at break times. They understand what bullying is but say that it does not happen in their school.

“The school is a caring and friendly place.”

Staff have won praise for the improvement.

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The report also praises the new curriculum at the school, which it describes as ambitious. It added that teachers explain new learning clearly and address misconceptions effectively.

Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School is about a mile from Boroughbridge.

Emma Lowe, headteacher, said:

“We are all delighted here at Kirby Hill that our hard work and dedication to improve standards has now formally been recognised by Ofsted.

“I am incredibly proud of the whole school community as everyone has played their part – but I am especially proud of our children.

“As always, our children were excellent ambassadors for our school during the inspection.

“They were able to talk confidently and passionately about their love of learning, their desire to challenge themselves and their ambitions for the future.

“I feel very lucky to be part of the Kirby Hill family and I look forward to continuing on our journey. Onwards and upwards – if you can believe it, you can achieve it!”

A schools leader in Harrogate has called for greater clarity on lockdown rules and guidance on who qualifies as a key worker as demand for classroom places remains high.

Richard Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust (RKLT), said primary schools in particular have seen far more pupils attending in person than was the case in the first lockdown last year.

While he sympathised with parents trying to balance home schooling with work, he said the pressure on schools was significant – and could mean lockdown measures would not achieve the results needed for restrictions to be eased.

“There’s a big difference between what’s happening in secondary and primary schools. Although there’s some rise in secondary, it’s nothing like the increase in primary. This indicates it’s about the ability of parents to cope with younger children at home and carry on working, or going to work.”

The RKLT is a group of 13 schools, including five in the Harrogate district. As well as Harrogate Grammar School, there are four primaries: Coppice Valley, Oatlands Junior, Rossett Acre and Western. Other schools outside the group have also reported much higher attendance in the current lockdown than last year.

Mr Sheriff said headteachers generally knew which parents were key workers such as doctors, nurses, care workers and others. However, he said the government’s extensive list of jobs which qualify for key worker status meant many people could ask for their child to be given a place at school.

With most children being taught from home, he said teachers needed to spend significant time supporting online learning. However, the number of pupils in schools and the need to keep them in small bubbles was placing extra pressure on staff.

‘Goodwill of parents’

In some cases, headteachers have spoken to parents who had requested a place and found a way for the child to be kept at home. Mr Sheriff said:

“We’re managing with the goodwill of parents in not utilising that place. It’s parents’ goodwill towards schools that’s allowing us to continue to function.

“The pressure on primary teachers at the moment is really significant.”

He added:

“We have managed to talk to parents in a way that has got demand to a level we can meet. If there was significant change, if everybody sent children who could, it would be impossible. We would be swamped.”

Richard Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust

Mr Sheriff said a review of what qualified as key worker status would help to ease the pressure, and would also help with enforcing lockdown measures. With so many children still in school, nurseries still open and cars on the roads, he said mixed messages were being sent, unlike in the first lockdown.

“This feels very different – almost that the schools are a signal to people about the level of activity. If schools were closed, the indication would be we lock up and stay home. Schools staying open is an indication, ‘it’s OK to be out and while I’m out, I’ll pop in to see so and so or have a chat at the school gates’.”

As well as reducing the number of jobs which qualified as key workers, Mr Sheriff said it would be helpful to have clearer guidance on the number of pupils who should be in schools. After the last lockdown, the government said 20% of students should be in at any one time, allowing schools to place limits on the number of pupils in their classrooms.

The RKLT, meanwhile, has prepared ways in which it could prioritise places in schools if needed. However, Mr Sheriff said with continued cooperation from parents and better guidance from the government, he hoped it would not be needed.

Read more:

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• Schools to be banned from releasing helium balloons and sky lanterns

Education leaders in North Yorkshire have vowed no child will be left behind as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

A national package of £1bn of support has been promised by the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, of which £650m will go to state primary and secondary schools, and the rest to help disadvantaged children to access high quality tuition.

Supported by North Yorkshire County Council, headteachers across the Harrogate district are now looking at the best ways to help students catch up on missed learning over the last three months. Stuart Carlton, corporate director of children and young people’s services at NYCC, said:

“School leaders and staff will be looking at how best to use the government’s funding for catch-up education.

“There will be a no one-size-fits-all approach to this; schools will be making their decisions based on the needs of their pupils, the availability of teaching staff and other considerations. It may be they run intervention programmes, bring in extra teaching capacity or “bolt-on” lessons at the end of the traditional school day.

“But the county council and North Yorkshire’s schools are all completely committed to making sure no child’s education loses out as a result of the pandemic and will be working very hard to make sure we get every pupil to where they need to be in their academic progress.”

Mr Carlton thanked pupils, parents and teachers for their hard work in challenging circumstances this year.

At present, Years 10 and 12 are being prioritised in secondary schools, with a quarter of these year groups in school at a time. The education secretary has announced he expects all pupils in both primary and secondary schools to return to full-time lessons in September, with more guidance to be published in the coming weeks.

Mr Carlton said NYCC and schools are keen to have that guidance soon in order to allow them to plan for a safe return. Independent holiday clubs and activities should also be resuming this summer, allowing children to be cared for while parents work.

Read more:

• Parents and teachers raise concerns over delay in schools reopening
• Henshaws College to stay open as charity cuts other services

Meanwhile, an independent school near Harrogate has reopened to all pupils this morning, following changes in government guidance.

Belmont Grosvenor, a prep school based on the edge of Birstwith, has welcomed pupils from reception up to Year 6 thanks to small class sizes and extensive grounds.

Sophia Ashworth Jones, headmistress of Belmont Grosvenor, with school dog Zola

The school had previously opened its Magic Tree Nursery, as well as Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 classes from June 1, in line with government advice. When that changed to allow schools to make their own decisions about which pupils could safely return, it welcomed back Year 5 from June 15, before opening to the rest of its year groups today.

Headmistress Sophia Ashworth Jones said:

“We are fortunate to be set in 20 acres of beautiful grounds, our average class size is 15 pupils, and we have plenty of both indoor and outdoor space to manage the social-distancing guidelines well.

“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, our children, from nursery to Year 6, enjoyed outdoor learning daily, from taking part in Forest School lessons in our woodland, to performing in the school’s outside amphitheatre. Now our children are back in school, the outside space has taken on an even greater importance.”

While many parents have chosen to send their children back, the school is also continuing to offer remote learning for those who are staying at home. As well as daily lessons, the school has been offering online assemblies, show-and-tell meetings, book clubs and well-being sessions for pupils since lockdown began in March.

• How has home schooling been for you? Has your children’s school been supportive or do you feel teachers could have done more? Are you ready for lessons to resume? Tell us about your experience by getting in touch.