Dales leaders back campaign to save school

COUNCILLORS IN the Yorkshire Dales have backed a campaign to retain a village school in the heart of the National Park, claiming it is “vital” for the community’s future to prevent education being eroded in deeply rural areas.

Richmondshire District Council has written to North Yorkshire County Council to urge the education authority to step its up efforts over the future of West Burton Church of England Primary School, near Leyburn. Concerns have been mounting over the viability of the Yorkshire Dales school since 2016, when it federated with others in Bainbridge and Askrigg.

Campaigners in West Burton believe the village school is under imminent threat of closure after the governing body of all three schools moved to remodel the federation to address challenges surrounding pupil numbers and finances. Governors want the schools to offer nursery, reception and Key Stage 1 classes on the Bainbridge site and Key Stage 2 classes at Askrigg and West Burton.

However, the campaigners say these changes would lead parents to move their children to other schools.

Richmondshire council’s leader Coun Yvonne Peacock said: “If we lose our schools then people are not going to want to come and live in Wensleydale.

“For a lot of young families, having a village school in the area where you live is very important.

“It is all part of the community from which children learn – children certainly don’t need to be isolated from their community.”

Other schools which have suffered closure threats are Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Swainby and Potto CE and Ingleby Arncliffe.