Skelton Newby Hall Primary School: Council rejects appeal to save 'unloved and unmanaged' Yorkshire village school with just one pupil from closure

North Yorkshire Council’s executive unanimously voted to cease to maintain Skelton Newby Hall Primary School, near Ripon, from August 31 after hearing its officers were confident their forecasts for potential school place demand in the area were more accurate than those put forward by people wanting the school kept open.

As the decision was taken to close the school which was opened in 1856 by Lady Mary Vyner for the children of Newby Hall estate workers, several of the council’s leading members expressed dismay, saying government rules had left it with no choice.

The meeting had heard Guy Critchlow, chair of Skelton cum Newby Parish Council, underline how Government guidance issued in January this year stated the case for closure should be strong and clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area.

He said while 800 new houses under construction in the area, and with planning permissions in place for more, nearby schools at Boroughbridge, Kirby Hill and Roecliffe were at or close to capacity.

Mr Critchlow said the parish council had “a duty to not only stand up for our local community but also speak out when we see decisions being made on false pretences” and the school had been failed by its leadership and governors.

He said: “North Yorkshire Council has a stated aim of putting local at its heart. Closing our school would not be putting local at its heart, but ripping the beating heart out the local community.”

Councillor Nick Brown, Conservative member for the Wathvale and Bishop Monkton division, said it was apparent the council officers’ school places projections were out of date and “not reflecting what I personally see is the reality on the ground”.

He said while the council had cited a planning application for a nursery atYolk Farm in Boroughbridge to show demand for nursery places was being addressed, another department of the council had already refused the council.

The meeting was told the school had been “unloved and unmanaged” leading parents to remove their children, but this did not reflect the school’s natural capability.

Nevertheless, the meeting heard the school’s governors believed they had been active in their efforts to raise numbers at the school, through many initiatives and officers were confident there would be sufficient numbers of school places in Boroughbridge to take pupils from new housing developments.

The authority’s executive member for education, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson told the meeting it would not be appropriate to rely on children from the nearby town of Boroughbridge to keep Skelton cum Newby Hall School viable.

She added the falling roll and low attendance from pupils living in the school’s catchment area, and in 2019 there had been 15 children attending the school of whom only four came from the school’s catchment area.

The authority’s leader, Councillor Carl Les said it was “always a sad time” when the authority decided to close a primary school.

Stronger Communities executive member Councillor Greg White said there would be nothing to stop the building being used as a school in the future, should there be sufficient demand.

Corporate Services executive member Councillor David Chance added Government rules constrained what the authority could do and in the case of Skelton cum Newby the council had been left with “no option”.