Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School: Closure of Yorkshire village school due to falling pupil numbers confirmed

Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary will shut at the end of the summer term, the trust which runs the school has announced.

Dales Academies Trust said it had taken the decision to close the school due to a falling roll which it said reduced development opportunities for pupils and raised concerns about the school’s financial viability.

Damian Chubb, chief executive of the trust, said: “The trust is acutely aware that this decision will be met with considerable sadness by the parents, pupils and staff at Kirkby Fleetham, and the wider community, and it shares deeply in this sentiment.

“No trust wishes to close a school, and the decision has not been taken lightly by any means. Dales Academies Trust will continue to work hard and do what it can to support the provision of rural education.”

The trust said the closure had been approved by the Secretary of State after they had been provided with feedback from a ‘listening period’ with all stakeholders.

The trust’s plans to close the school were greeted with dismay and anger in the local community when they were revealed in January.

More than 650 people signed a petition calling for the school to stay open.

Parents also wrote to the Education Secretary urging her to intervene.

North Yorkshire Council executive member for education, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, also contacted the minister to express her concerns about the way the closure had been handled.

Coun Wilkinson said she was “staggered” at how undemocratic this process was and said “scant regard” had been paid to the wishes of the community.

The criticism prompted accusations of hypocrisy from opposition councillors who said Coun Wilkinson had overseen the closure of several North Yorkshire schools when the views of the community had been ignored.

The trust said the school would continue to provide education to pupils up until the last day of term and would offer support and guidance to parents looking for an alternative school for their child.

“As part of this, the school has offered to have staff accompany pupils and parents on transition days if they feel it would be helpful,” a spokesperson added.