Council chiefs sign off school closures in the latest blow to region's rural communities

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) chiefs yesterday agreed the closure of Swainby and Potto Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School and Ingleby Arncliffe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.

The sites recently shared staff and resources amid financial pressures, a severe lack of pupils and concerns over quality.

Together the schools had predicted a deficit of nearly £57,000 this financial year, rising to £257,000 in 2019/20, based on 20 pupils across the two sites.

Earlier this summer there were only 19 pupils going to both schools.

Coun Patrick Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for the Children and Young People, said: “The fundamental issue is that very low numbers lead to recruitment challenges, lack of curriculum breadth as well as very limited social experiences for pupils.

“Governing bodies and the Council in North Yorkshire go to great lengths exploring alternatives to closure - federation, amalgamisation, academisation - but in some cases the alternatives are not there.

“As a strong ambitious local authority the Council’s priority must be children’s education and providing that crucial best start for their future lives.”

Mick Hannon, a governor at Swainby and husband of Whorlton Parish Council chairwoman Dolly Hannon, believes that the community’s spirit is “slowly dying off”.

He said: “People moving into these villages where there’s no schools and a [high] price, will be probably older retiring investors wanting second homes to let or people who are in their second marriages. They leave here in the morning and come back at five to seven o’clock. The number of young ones will drop off.”

The catchment areas of Carlton and Faceby, Hutton Rudby and Appleton Wiske primary schools are to be extended to take in new pupils.

The decision by NYCC’s corporate director and executive members is subject to a five-day period in which it can be “called-in” and for a review.