Parent power saves popular school

A PARENTS’ campaign has helped save a West Yorkshire secondary school from closure.

Months of campaigning, letter writing, lobbying and marching paid off for parents, children and staff at Castle Hall in Mirfield.

Kirklees Council wanted to close the school and expand Mirfield Free Grammar to accommodate extra pupils, but the Office of the Schools Adjudicator overturned the decision.

The news was welcomed by both schools and by Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Shahid Malik, who said: “The whole community has got behind the campaign and I am immensely proud to have been at the forefront with them.

“Justice has been done and this result is a great boost for young people and families in Mirfield and beyond.

“I have always maintained that the idea you would close the best-performing school in the name of educational achievement is nothing short of perverse.

“I led a group of all the headteachers and governors and together we opposed the plan to close the school by the then Conservative council.

“The idea of retaining the school was completely dismissed. When the Lib Dems and Labour took over that continued but I kept my promise to Mirfield and I carried on fighting to the very end.”

In a summary of his decision, the adjudicator, Canon Richard Lindley, said: “At my meeting with the local MP, he drew attention to what he believes is a finance-driven, formulaic, top-down approach on the part of the council.

“He criticised the council’s approach to achieving greater ethnic integration, which he believes should be achieved by slow degrees and local consent, rather than by instant imposition with the attendant risk that problems may follow from a sudden change in the ethnic composition of the MFG (Mirfield Free Grammar) population.

“The MP indicated that he did not believe there had been effective engagement over the proposals with the population of Ravensthorpe.”

In its conclusion, the Office of the Schools Adjudicator wrote: “The adjudicator, Canon Richard Lindley, has considered the issues afresh, and has not approved the proposals.

“The adjudicator has been particularly mindful of the level of support from parents, pupils, staff, governors and local residents for retaining the status quo.

“He has noted too the successful nature of both schools and the fact that both are oversubscribed each year.

“He has recognised the council’s careful planning for the longer term, relating to forecast local pupil numbers and the need to make best use of the Government’s Building Schools for the Future funding, which is unlikely to be available in future years.

“However, he has balanced these against a number of other factors, and believes that many of the Council’s objectives can be achieved by other means.”

Castle Hall headteacher Andy Pugh and chair of governors Brian Nicholson said: “We always knew we had a strong case against closure. Castle Hall School has remained a popular, successful and over-subscribed school – even in the face of two separate proposals to close us.”

Mirfield Free Grammar principal Lorraine Baker said the school was delighted with the decision and thanked everyone for their support.

Kirklees councillor Ken Smith, joint cabinet member for children and families, said: “For now, we will spend some time considering the report to fully understand the implications of the Adjudicator’s decision.

“We’ll now take stock of our position and have discussions with officers and members before making an announcement about the next steps for Castle Hall and the Mirfield Free Grammar schools.”