The potential closure of a North Yorkshire primary school, and the removal of sixth form provision at a secondary will be discussed by a council committee next week.

Hackforth and Hornby Church of England Primary School, near Bedale, has just 12 children attending.

On Tuesday, a meeting of North Yorkshire Council executive member for education, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson and the corporate director of the authority's Children and Young People's Service, will discuss opening a consultation on the closure of the school. 

A report to the meeting states: "At a recent meeting of the Governing Board of the Hackforth and Hornby Church of England (CE) Voluntary Controlled (VC) Primary School it was reluctantly resolved, following a full discussion about pupil numbers and financial prospects, to invite North Yorkshire Council to commence a consultation on closure of this school.

(Image: NYC) "The Governing Body of Hackforth and Hornby CE VC Primary School, have not reached this decision lightly and have already worked to support the school through a collaboration with the Federation of Snape and Thornton Watlass Primary Schools, which has been in place since September 2021.

"As part of the collaboration, there is leadership across the three schools, which is led by the Executive Headteacher of the Snape and Thornton Watlass Federation. Governors have requested the consultation at this time as they have identified the importance of a decision on the school's future being made before the end of April 2025."

If the go-ahead is given for a consultation to close the school, it will begin in November, lasting five weeks, and will include a public meeting.

The council’s executive would be scheduled to consider the consultation feedback in January 2025.

The school building and playing field are owned by the Diocese of Leeds, rather than the council. "Decisions about the future of a school building are separate to the closure decision itself and would follow at a later date," the council papers state.

Meanwhile, during the same meeting Cllr Wilkinson will decide the future of sixth-form provision at The Wensleydale School in Leyburn.

(Image: NYC)

Sixth form provision has been suspended since 2023, after there were only eight post-16 students in attendance the previous year.

If a consultation to permanently cease sixth-form provision at the school is given the go-ahead, a consultation will be launched on November 11 with a public meeting to be held early in December. The feedback of the consultation will be considered in January with a final decision on the proposal in March next year.

Papers for next week's meeting state: "The funding model for post-16 education has changed in recent years and now favours larger sixth forms than Wensleydale School has ever had.

"Historically, funding intended for those in years seven to 11 at the school to some extent subsidised the provision of a sixth form, but this has become increasingly unsustainable as schools have faced increasing cost and funding pressures over recent years."

The Wensleydale School will remain open for 11 to 16-year-olds and the decision will not result in any changes to staffing at the school.

The next nearest sixth-form in North Yorkshire is at Richmond School.

Cllr Wilkinson said: “We value our rural schools and understand their importance in close-knit communities of North Yorkshire.

“I will be carefully considering all aspects of both proposals when deciding if the public consultations should proceed.”