YP Letters: Making the case to save school from closure

ALONG with many other people, I attended the public meeting concerning the closure of Horton-in-Ribblesdale School last Wednesday.

Beneath beautiful displays of the children’s work on Aboriginal Dreamtime, I listened to speaker after speaker make moving, passionate and persuasive speeches, all calling on the adjudicator, Lennard Jones, to overturn the closure decision made by North Yorkshire County Council.

Parents spoke of how their child is seen to be very much an individual at the school, which helps them to thrive in all areas.

Former pupils spoke of 
how well the school had identified and made provision 
for their Special Educational Needs.

Members of staff told of the care and the professionalism that goes into running such a small school.

Mr Jones emphasised that in making his decision he had to be guided by the law, and 
while of course this is correct, I would ask that he bear in mind the words of the Italian teacher and educationalist Maria Montessori – “we serve the future by protecting the present” – because, in my view, Horton 
is not just a school for today 
but for all our children’s tomorrows.