North Yorkshire Council’s executive is set to approve the publication of statutory proposals for the proposed amalgamation of two Whitby schools before a final decision is made.
The executive committee of North Yorkshire Council (NYC) will discuss the proposed amalgamation of Caedmon College Whitby and Eskdale School at its next meeting on Tuesday, April 18.
If approved, the executive will publish statutory notices and proposals on April 27 “proposing the amalgamation of Caedmon College Whitby and Eskdale School resulting in the technical closure of Eskdale School and the Eskdale site from August 2024”
A final decision on the amalgamation is set to be made on Tuesday, June 20.
The governing board of the Whitby secondary partnership has set out three reasons for the amalgamation, stating that “low pupil numbers, significant financial challenges at both schools and an imperative to give the best education” support the plan.
However, many locals have opposed the plan with a petition calling for Eskdale school to be saved gathering more than 2,000 signatures.
The executive is also being asked to note a recommendation made by the Scarborough and Whitby Area Constituency Committee (ACC) at its meeting on March 24 which stated that if the amalgamation does go ahead, NYC should provide compensation to affected parents and guardians.
The ACC recommended that the local authority “allocate funding to put in place support measures, including financial support for such extra costs as uniforms, to assist parents and students during the transition”.
The agenda for the meeting states that the executive will be required to consider the recommendation if the proposals are published and it “returns for a decision to close the school on June 20”.
While many have objected to the plan, a report prepared for the executive committee’s meeting states that the “governing board views the proposal as offering the opportunity to deliver a broader curriculum offer with wider opportunities and development of skills to meet the needs of students and the local community”.
If approved, it would result in an increase in the planned admission number for the amalgamated school from September 2024.
Eskdale School currently has 403 pupils on roll and based on projected pupil numbers the school leadership envisages a pupil roll of approximately 1,050 11-16 pupils in the amalgamated institution “in the short term”.
However, this is projected to decrease to approximately 950 based on the number of current primary pupils, according to the report.
Thousands Of Jobs And Billions In Investment Targeted In Pro-Growth Drive For The East Riding
Proposed Overnight Visitor Levy Faces Scrutiny From Coastal Tourism Bosses
Flamborough RNLI Volunteers Celebrate Crucial Training Milestone
MP Supports Targeted Help With Rising Energy Bills in North Yorkshire
Thousands Of Passengers Flock To Highly Successful Railway Steam Gala
Local Affordable Housing Options Will Expand With New Properties In Driffield And Withernsea
Late Heartbreak For Bridlington Town In Defeat At Ossett United
Whitby Town Suffer Narrow Defeat To Lancaster City Despite Taking Early Lead
Urgent Calls For Answers Over Closed Scarborough Spa Cliff Lift
Bridmas Will Return Next Year Following Record Summer Success
Yorkshire Actor Gaynor Faye to Receive Honorary Degree From CU Scarborough
Opera-Singing Busker Receives Special Award After Raising Thousands for Lifeboat Charity
Comments
Add a comment