School supporters ‘underestimated’
Adjudicator will consider bid to overturn closure
CLOSURES: Council chiefs who plan to close a 300-yearold school in the Yorkshire Dales have “underestimated the passion of the community”, according to campaigners fighting to overturn the decision.
The tiny Church of England primary in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, near Settle, is set to shut its doors this summer.
It has been hard, but we are made of strong stuff up here. Nicky Rhodes, parent and co-chair of governors at Horton School.
COUNCIL CHIEFS who plan to close a 300-year-old school in the Yorkshire Dales have “underestimated the passion of the community”, according to campaigners who are fighting to overturn the decision.
The tiny Church of England primary in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, near Settle, is set to shut its doors at the end of the summer term after North Yorkshire County Council decided to push ahead with the closure.
The school prepared a case to overturn the decision, and on Wednesday night it was presented to independent schools adjudicator David Lennard Jones at a public meeting, which was attended by more than 50 protesters.
Co-chair of governors Nicky Rhodes, who has two children at the school, said: “There were a lot of people who wanted to make new points and it reflects the fact that the school is in a very different place to when the consultation process started last September.
“It was very clear from what people were saying that there is a lot of new direction and capacity for so much educational value, including the school’s Dales Outdoor Education Programme.”
Representatives from Craven District Council and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust offered their support at the meeting and a letter from Carl Lis, chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, argued that the school should remain open.
Mrs Rhodes said: “Plans for regeneration in the area were shown to the adjudicator and he was told they would be seriously under threat if the school closed, as it forms part of the village’s infrastructure.
“The governing body has put together a three-year plan, which takes into account funding cuts. In order to make any school successful you need to find a way to generate income now.
“I really hope that if we can move forward from this, we can look again at finding alliances with other local schools as we are right in the centre of the Yorkshire Dales – we are the hub – and to keep the facility here is vital.”
Mr Lennard Jones is expected to make a decision in July and the campaigners now face an anxious wait.
However, Mrs Rhodes said the village had put up a good fight.
“There were lots of people saying how vital the school is and how much it is inextricably linked to the community,” she said.
“It’s the heart of the community and I think that’s recognised everywhere, apart from certain members of the county council and the Diocese of Leeds.
“The community has come together to win this battle to keep the school open. I think they have underestimated our passion. It has brought the village together. It has been hard, but we are made of strong stuff up here.”
A county council spokesman said: “The council’s decision was taken because of overriding concerns about the quality and breadth of education that Horton could continue to provide and for the school’s financial viability. The adjudicator was clear at the meeting that this was an important decision that would not be rushed. He said he would take the opportunity to reflect and indicated that he expected his adjudication to be available in early to mid-July.”