A statutory notice for the closure of St Hilda’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Whitby has now been published.
With only two children remaining on roll at the school, North Yorkshire County Council’s Executive have given the go-ahead for publication of the official closure notice to allow a further 4 week representation period.
The Executive agreed to continue with the closure process following a report by officers which explained that the proposal was not related to any issue with school standards but due to falling rolls over a number of years and very low pupil numbers which meant that the school was not financially sustainable. The school does not have a distinct catchment but as a faith school takes pupils from Whitby and surrounding rural areas.
Although a group of stakeholders, including County Councillor Joe Plant and foundation governors appointed by the Roman Catholic Diocese, had looked into alternative options to closure, a consultation held last autumn concluded that closure could not be avoided.
Parents and stakeholders have paid tribute to the good work of the school and staff over the years and especially during the recent months of uncertainty and the current Covid-19 pandemic. They also noted that pupils who had moved from St Hilda’s to St Hedda’s Roman Catholic Primary School, when the closure proposal was announced in September, had all settled well.
Stuart Carlton, Director of Children’s Services, said:
“Whenever we have to take forward a proposal for school closure we do so with a heavy heart. The consultation response to date indicates an acceptance of the situation here given only two pupils remain on roll.
“Nevertheless, we would welcome any further views to be made known before the Executive takes a final decision.”
The notice was published on January 22nd. The consultation closes at 5pm on February 19th.
During this period, anyone who wishes to view the closure proposals or make a representation can visit the County Council’s consultations page https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/st-hildas-roman-catholic-primary-school-public-notice
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