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Over 2,000 People Sign Save Eskdale School Petition

Monday, 20 February 2023 10:47

By Matthew Pells

Cllr Neil Swannick (3rd from left) with members of the Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale School campaign group Michelle Vasey, Carla Blackman, Martin Hart, Terri-Anne Jones and Joyce Stangoe

As a public consultation gets underway a petition started by parents to save Eskdale School from closure has been signed by 2,479 people.

The signatures were made up of 1,157 written signatures and 1,322 online.

The petition was presented to Cllr Neil Swannick who represents Whitby’s Streonshalh ward on North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

He will hand it to Barry Khan NYCC’s Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) and Monitoring Officer.

Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale School campaign group member Carla Blackman said:

“The petition shows just how strongly this town feels about the threat and the decline of education in Whitby.

“Addresses from up and down our coastline have signed their support wanting to see an improvement in the quality of schooling so that their children and their children's children can continue to be educated in our town.”

Today sees the start of the 6 week consultation period on the Whitby Secondary Partnerships plan to amalgamate Eskdale School with Caedmon College Whitby from September 2024. With the new school set to operate across a split site. The consultation period offers parents and local residents to have their say.

The county council are carrying out the consultation following a request from the governing body of the Whitby Secondary partnership to consider the  merger proposal. The Governing Board set out three linked factors as the reasons for their proposal to amalgamate Caedmon College Whitby and Eskdale School: low pupil numbers, significant financial challenges at both schools and an imperative to give the best education and curriculum to the young people of Whitby.

The proposal would result in the closure of Eskdale School which has been met with concerns and anger by parents and the local community.

Carla added:

“We welcome the consultation as an opportunity to air some serious concerns over the failing governance of the schools.

“This is our chance to reboot education in the area and provide a legacy of schooling for generations of Whitby residents to come.

“We urge everyone whether they have links to the schools or not, to review the document and put forward their views.”

The consultation can be completed online at https://consult.northyorks.gov.uk/snapwebhost/s.asp?k=167542956340

North Yorkshire County Council have published background information at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/proposal-amalgamate-caedmon-college-whitby-and-eskdale-school-1-september-2024

There will be two public consultation meetings at Whitby Pavilion, West Cliff, Whitby, YO21 3EN on Wednesday 8 March at 12.30pm and 6.30pm.

The closing date for responses to the consultation is 5pm on Friday, 31 March 2023.

All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by the new North Yorkshire Council Executive on 18 April 2023.

If the Executive decides to proceed with the proposal, then statutory notices would be published on 27 April 2023. These notices would provide a further four weeks for representations to be made, by 25 May 2023.

A final decision would then be scheduled to be taken by the Executive on 20 June 2023.  If agreed, the schools would amalgamate from 1 September 2024.

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