Village primary school with 18 pupils to close

There are currently 18 pupils on the roll at Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School

Plans to close a rural school with 18 pupils have been described as "a terrible shame" for the village and community.

Former chair of the Friends of Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School, Fran Hilyer, made the remarks after the Dales Academies Trust revealed proposals to shut the school near Bedale, North Yorkshire, after the summer term.

Low pupil numbers and their impact on children's wellbeing and its long-term financial sustainability were given as the reasons for the decision.

Chief executive of the Trust, Damian Chubb, promised to "work closely with the families affected to ensure their children are well-placed into a new school."

Parents 'reeling'

It is understood local governors of the school were only notified about the potential closure last week, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A source close to the school said a number of parents were "reeling from the news and questioning how on earth the trust can propose to close the school without any consultation".

Mr Chubb said the trust was awaiting further details from the Department for Education after an "in-principle agreement" to the closure from the Secretary of State.

He also said that the trust, which runs 15 other schools - mainly in North Yorkshire - had completed its own review process.

"It is our duty to uphold an exceptional provision for learning and wellbeing, which simply cannot be achieved under the circumstances," he added.

A meeting for parents with trust leaders and a representative from the Diocese of Leeds will take place at the school at 18:30 GMT on Monday 27 January, with the school governors also planning an extraordinary meeting to discuss the announcement.

The news came as education bosses at North Yorkshire Council took further steps to close Hackforth and Hornby Church of England Primary School and the sixth form at the Wensleydale School in Leyburn, which both have low numbers of children attending.

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