Rural exodus is a threat to future of schools

Budget adjustments and collaborative ways of schools working together have already been introduced in North Yorkshire to ease the pressure on schools with low rolls, County Councillor Arthur Barker said.

But with young families priced out of remote villages and in search of quality job opportunities, among other factors, some schools could face a battle to survive.

The issue will be among those debated at an event held today by The Yorkshire Post and Richmondshire District Council, where retired head teacher Linda Cork will be one of the speakers.

Having moved to the Upper Dales to become head teacher at Askrigg Primary in 2003, she later became head of a federation of two schools, Reeth and Gunnerside Primary Schools; a position she retired from this August.

The schools’ falling pupil numbers - Reeth had 57 pupils in 1999 and has 39 now; Gunnerside had 38 in 1999 but now has seven - brought them closer together.

Mrs Cork said: “My role was to bring the schools together as a federation without threatening the identity of either and we had to bring together two communities where generations of the same families had attended their local school. People on each side thought I had been brought it to close their school.”

The result of the federation was that children at both schools were brought together through innovative means.

“Rather than having very small year groups in small classes, I joined year groups together and we ran inter school transport to bring them together,” she said.

“On other occasions we would use a video link to teach across the two schools at the same time.

“For too long schools, governors and parents have thought about their schools as little islands to be protected at all costs and they see any attempt to look outwardly as a threat - the mindset has to change. Schools need to collaborate and stick together for strength.”

Coun Barker, executive member for education at North Yorkshire County Council, said the council’s schools budget was managed to protect schools with small rolls in the most rural areas through a sparsity factor which was approved by the government in recent years, but that protection could not guarantee the future of all schools if pupil numbers continued to fall, he said.

“I think increasingly, schools will have to collaborate and that’s not just in our rural areas, all schools in North Yorkshire. That collaboration may help keep some costs down and there are other benefits that come with sharing expertise.”

But, he warned: “The use of the sparsity factor is helping - and collaboration is helping, but ultimately it would be even more helpful if pupil numbers in our rural areas increased because it may not be possible to keep all schools going if pupil numbers continue to fall.”

Summit meeting

Local people and professionals will be sharing how they think the rural exodus in Richmondshire can be tackled at a summit in Leyburn today.

It is being held by the District Council and The Yorkshire Post at Tennants’ Auction Centre and the debate will focus on key issues such as the lack of affordable homes and quality job opportunities, and the threat posed by the reduction or withdrawal of services – such as healthcare, public transport and education services.

A second event will be held in the new year to build a momentum for change, and it is hoped the solutions will help form a model that can be replicated elsewhere.