Former Harrogate headteacher denies making indecent images of children

A former Harrogate teacher has pleaded not guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children.

Matthew Shillito, 42, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates’ Court yesterday, September 23.

The two counts include 20 Category B images and 3,723 Category C images, made between December 3, 2012 and December 31, 2015.

A statement by North Yorkshire Police today said:

“We can confirm that Shillito was a teaching professional in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire at the time of the alleged offences.

“He was immediately suspended from his post when he was arrested in January 2020 and subsequently dismissed.

“Parents can be reassured that none of the alleged offences relate to his employment.”

Shillito was appointed headteacher of Harrogate’s Western Primary School in 2019.

He was previously headteacher across the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation of schools.

Shillito was remanded on conditional bail and the case was adjourned for trial at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on March 4 2022.

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Western Primary School in Harrogate gets second speed sign

Western Primary School in Harrogate has secured a second speed sign as part of its ongoing campaign to improve road safety.

Headteacher Tim Broad has spoken of his fears a child could be killed crossing the busy Cold Bath Road outside the 500-pupil school.

A long-running campaign with parents bore fruit last month when funding was secured for a vehicle-activated sign that notifies drivers of their speed in the 20 miles per hour zone.

Now a second sign means traffic in both directions will be monitored — although as the signs are classed as temporary, they need to be rotated occasionally to meet this bureaucratic requirement.

John Mann, who represents Harrogate central on North Yorkshire County Council, has funded both signs from his locality budget, which councillors are allocated to spend on local issues. Each sign costs £3,200 plus VAT.

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Mr Broad said he was “delighted” the school would receive two signs but added the campaign would go on. He said:

“This will make a huge difference to the safety of our pupils and I am grateful to Councillor Mann for the additional funding which has made this possible.

“Whilst this is a very positive step, I still have significant concerns about the sheer volume of traffic, of all shapes and sizes, which uses Cold Bath Road each day, producing significant pollution which makes its way into our classrooms.

“My long term aim is to work with residents, businesses and the local council to see what steps might be taken to address this additional concern.”

Councillor Mann did not respond to inquiries from the Stray Ferret.

Speed sign to be installed outside Western Primary School

A speed sign is to be installed outside Western Primary School in Harrogate as part of the school’s long-running campaign to improve road safety.

Western is one of the largest primary schools in the Harrogate district, with 500 pupils.

It is also situated on one of the busiest streets — Cold Bath Road.

Tim Broad, headteacher of Western Primary School, has spoken of his fears a child could be killed crossing the road.

He and teachers have lobbied North Yorkshire County Council for action.

The campaign finally bore fruit when John Mann, who represents Harrogate central on North Yorkshire County Council, agreed to fund a vehicle-activated sign from his locality budget.

Each county councillor receives a locality budget of £5,000 per year to spend on local needs, and councillor Mann’s allocation covered the £3,200-plus VAT cost of the sign.

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Mr Broad said the school was “very grateful” to councillor Mann. He added:

“This will make a significant difference to the safety of our pupils and it is a relief to know that somebody is listening to our concerns and taking some positive action.

“However, there is much more that needs to be done and I am hoping we can work with North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to make the whole of Cold Bath Road a safer and healthier environment for everyone who uses it.”

The sign, which has a five-year warranty and a life expectancy of 10 years, will be fixed to the street lamp immediately outside the school.

A radar in the sign detects vehicles travelling above the 20mph speed limit from at least 50 metres away and this triggers a ‘slow down’ message.

The sign will be spun round every few weeks to face traffic from the opposite direction.

Western Primary School urges council to tackle road fears

The headteacher of one of the largest primary schools in Harrogate has called for extra road safety measures outside the building to help parents and children comply with social distancing.

Tim Broad, headteacher of Western Primary School, said some people were taking risks crossing the busy Cold Bath Road at pick-up and drop-off times to avoid crowding at the nearby pelican crossing.

Mr Broad has asked North Yorkshire County Council to provide a temporary lollipop person outside the school, but the local authority has so far not agreed any action.

Mr Broad, who has worked at the school for 20 years and has been headteacher since January, said:

“This is the first time I can remember feeling deeply concerned that we could have a road traffic accident.

“The first week back was chaotic. We had a meeting on the Friday evening and changed the system as best we can.

“But we still have some children and parents trying to cross the road where it isn’t safe.”

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Western has 500 pupils, including its nursery intake, and the sheer volume of pedestrian traffic creates a social distancing hazard compounded by the narrow pavement outside the school and the busy road.

The school has introduced staggered start and finish times and uses three entrances and exits and to ease congestion.

But concerns remain, hence the school’s request for a temporary crossing patrol or signs urging drivers to slow down.

Mr Broad said the council had been responsive to the school’s concerns but it was proving frustratingly difficult to get action.

The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire County Council for comment but had not received a reply by the time of publication.