MP welcomes takeover of school following uncertainty over future

AN MP has welcomed confirmation that a high-performing academy chain will takeover a struggling secondary school in a North Yorkshire market town following months of uncertainty caused by protracted delays.

Easingwold School was put into special measures by Ofsted last October and Wakefield-based Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) was named as the preferred sponsor.

But the takeover was delayed as a result of ongoing talks between North Yorkshire County Council, the governors and Outwood on who takes on financial liability for building works due to the school’s deteriorating condition. The uncertainty led to the school being dubbed an “orphan school”, a term given to schools that, at least six months after a failed inspection, do not know who will be running them. However, on Monday the chairman of Easingwold School, Neil Hawkins, announced that OGAT will become the school’s sponsor from September 1. Conservative Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake (inset), a former pupil and governor at Easingwold School, said: “It’s great news. It does right a wrong in many ways. We should have had this decision some months ago. Parents, teachers and the governing body have been left in limbo. Outwood is a good choice. In most cases they have managed to turn schools around and I’m sure it will be the same at Easingwold. It means we can all move on.”

Mr Hollinrake, who has two children at the school, added: “I want to make sure the school goes in the right direction and I’m confident it will.”

Meanwhile, Park Grove is the latest York primary school to opt out of local authority control and become an academy. It has joined the Ebor Academy Trust, a Yorkbased schools chain.