Closure consultation for Harrogate's Woodfield primary school

The school has been unable to find an academy sponsor

Governors of a primary school in Harrogate have asked the county council to begin a consultation on closing it.

Woodfield Community Primary School received an inadequate rating following an Ofsted inspection in January.

It meant the school must become a sponsored academy, but the Regional Schools Commissioner was unable to secure a backer.

Merger talks with another primary school also failed when the other school decided to withdraw its support.

The governing body of Woodfield Community Primary School stated: "This has been a very difficult time for the school, parents, pupils, staff and governors and we were all hopeful a solution had finally been found with the proposed amalgamation with Grove Road Primary School.

"Unfortunately, that could not proceed."

The governors said they had exhausted all their options and had asked the county council to begin the closure consultation with "a heavy heart".

'Move at pace'

North Yorkshire County Council's director of children and young people's services, Stuart Carlton, said the absence of an academy sponsor had left the school in a difficult position.

"The county council hoped that the proposed amalgamation would provide a solution to retain education on the school site, but that was not to be," he said.

He said he shared the governors' sadness that closure must be considered.

"We will now move at pace to seek approval to consult on a proposal that the school should close during the next academic year.

"We will communicate directly with the school's parents in the coming days on the many questions they will have at this time.''