A rural primary school in North Yorkshire will close at the end of next month (August) due to dwindling pupil numbers.
For the last 15 years, St Hilda’s Church of England Primary School in Ampleforth has had no more than 36 pupils. It currently only has 13 children on the roll, and the school has seen a consistently low intake of new pupils in recent years.
The move follows the Conservative-led authority’s Liberal Democrats calling for a moratorium on the succession of such school closures to highlight “the loss of key facilities from our communities” across North Yorkshire.
Last autumn, the authority’s children’s scrutiny committee heard the succession of rural school closures was “only likely to get worse” with a looming oversupply of places, despite attempts to prevent an increasing number of schools going into the red.
After the council published its intention to close St Hilda’s the authority received objections, including from grandparents and parents and the manager of a nursery, arguing remained much-needed, with one stating the closure would “rip the heart out of the village community”.
The manager of Daisy Day Care, a private nursery in Ampleforth, wrote that the proposed closure was “creating immense upset and stress” in the village.
Children to move
A former pupil and parent of a three-year-old attending the school’s nursery said St Hilda’s closure “would have a huge effect on businesses and the residents of Ampleforth”.
She said: “It’s always been a smaller school. However, this meant the pupils got help when they needed it. In a larger school, for example; my younger brother and sister, who are both dyslexic could have been missed, luckily St Hilda’s didn’t and gave them both the support they required.”
In a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive yesterday (Tuesday), a decision was made for the school to permanently close on 31 August and for its current catchment area to be divided between Husthwaite Church of England Primary School, Helmsley Community Primary School and Terrington Church of England Primary School.
The council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “Village schools are an important part of the community and it’s heartbreaking and disappointing when a decision to close a school is made.
“Sadly, low pupil numbers can make it challenging for a school to operate within its budget as well as maintaining a high-quality provision, teaching and learning.
“We have a responsibility to look into the quality and breadth of education to ensure every child in North Yorkshire has the best school experience.”
Additional reporting: Stuart Minting, Local Democracy Reporter