Education – Whitby Community Network CIC

Letter to NYC and Whitby School Governing Body

Andy Jefferson — Wed, 06 May 2026 18:05:36 +0000

Following on from the decision in April 2026 to not proceed with academisation of Whitby School under the Wonder Learning Partnership, a meeting was arranged for Tuesday 5th May 2026 to cover many matters of concern to parents, carers and the community. As a result of this meeting a letter was sent by David Bradley, chair of the WCN CIC subgroup for Education, to North Yorkshire Council and to the Whitby School Governing Body.

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, NYC Executive Councillor for Education
Mr Richard Fluin, Chair of Whitby School Governing Body

RE: Public Meeting about Whitby School held on Tuesday 5^th May, 2026 at the Whitby Rifle Club.

I am writing to you on behalf of the parents, students and members of the local community who attended the above meeting last night. Their ongoing concerns about the school, particularly in the wake of the Department for Education’s (DfE) decision not to support Wonder Learning Partnership’s (WLP) attempt to join with the school and become an academy, have increased significantly. This decision has rocked the community not least because WLP was regarded by parents as a chance to develop stable, effective leadership, but also an opportunity to develop a strategic plan which would bring about improvements in academic standards, behaviour and attendance. The very issues which were highlighted by the Governing Body (GB) and the Local Authority (LA) at the time of the “Amalgamation of the Three Secondary Schools in Whitby and the Closure of Eskdale School” in 2023. Technically, this ‘amalgamation’ was a reorganisation of post eleven education in the town, and it was never given the status it deserved. The parents have now had enough of the responsibilities for the school being passed between the LA and the GB and feel like they have been on a “Merry-Go-Round” for at least three years, so they called a meeting through social media, and invited everyone.

The meeting attracted approximately sixty-five people and nearly fifty of them signed an attendance sheet and gave their email addresses. Students, parents and carers, attended the meeting and the parents were pleased to welcome councillors from the town council, one parent governor, one councillor from North Yorkshire Council (NYC) and our Member of Parliament, Alison Hume MP. I volunteered to chair the meeting and asked the meeting if anyone had any objections to me carrying out this role and none did. I emphasised the need for us to concentrate on issues rather than personalities and the need for us to anonymise young people and staff. Detailed notes of the meeting were taken by parents.

The Governing Body had sent a letter to explain their non-attendance, and this was read out by one of the parents. One parent governor disagreed with his colleagues, attended and spoke at some length about his involvement with the school. Another carer (a retired Special Needs teacher) spoke in detail about her voluntary involvement with the school. Finally, everyone was invited to speak about any issues which they had with the school. For the sake of clarity, I have listed the main issues raised by all of the speakers below: –

Several parents were concerned that the school did not always know whether their child was in school. Some reported that the school had contacted them about an absence when the child was in attendance. This is a serious safeguarding issue.
Considerable concern was expressed about students who needed educational statements and had not been processed early enough. Others expressed concern when teachers did not take the statements seriously and there were incidents where specific needs were not being met e.g. the need to take medication, the need to visit the toilet (one child had wet themself), the need to use colour filters for reading or the need to have work presented on coloured paper for autistically challenged students. Parents and Carers of young people with specials needs were aware that their children could be disruptive, but sometimes staff did not understand the child’s condition and how to deal with it.
Several parents were concerned that students often had three or four Form Tutors. Sometimes communication between the student and the Form Tutors was confused or did not happen.
A lot of concern was expressed about the number of supply teachers being used by the school because of absent staff. It was very clear that some of the supply staff were not familiar with the school rules and procedures. Some were also not familiar with the referral systems for poor behaviour.
Several parents and carers raised issues concerned with consistent practice by the teaching staff. It seems that some minor issues with uniform are given greater status than they should be and learning time is compromised.
Some established teachers on the staff are clearly working very hard, but their efforts are being thwarted by poor communication between senior leaders and other staff. The huge turnover of senior staff, particularly headteachers, over the last decade has not helped teaching staff because they are not certain what is expected of them. One parent and a member of the community separately commented that, ‘the staff do not really know who is in charge’.
Several parents had contacted the school multiple times about behaviour issues, but often these issues were not followed up. One parent had been discouraged from using the complaints procedure.

I have to say that the shock and the immense feeling of disappointment in the room was palpable. How on earth have we managed to let this happen in our community? I then encouraged parents to visit the “Parentview” Ofsted site to record their concerns. Ofsted are expected at the school in the next two terms and inspectors are required to follow up any issues on this site at the time of inspection. I also emphasised the need for parents to voice any concerns directly to the school.

The meeting considered five questions which had been formulated by the Education Sub Committee of the Whitby Community Network CIC. All five were addressed to the GB and the LA and they were all approved unanimously by the meeting. The questions are: –

In May 2025, governors, backed by the community representatives, endorsed Wonder Learning Partnership as the preferred academy trust. We are now told (a year later) that the DfE will not agree. Why not? Why was the DfE’s decision not appealed by the GB or LA? Why did the GB and LA end the partnership so abruptly?
The school remains fragile on standards, attendance, and community confidence. Much of the WLP’s work has not had time to show impact. What is going to happen to this work? Why hasn’t the offer from WLP to help the school and the new leadership team been followed up by the LA and GB?
We were promised stable, effective leadership. The LA and GB are now proposing to appoint a headteacher and two deputies. We are told that the headteacher and one deputy will be internal appointments – they may already be appointed. Normally, headteacher posts are advertised nationally. What objective criteria, evidence and decision process are being used to select for these posts? We know that one temporary, senior postholder has an unsatisfactory track record. How is the community to have confidence in these appointments?
What is the LA’s strategic plan for the school – over the next 6-12 months and beyond? When will it be shared with the community?
When will the GB abide by statutory rules and publish their minutes in a timely manner on the school website.

The meeting concluded with Alison Hume being invited to comment. She said, “The coast has been forgotten by the council for many years.” She went on to say that she would hold NYC to account, have meetings with the DfE, talk to the schools’ minister and concluded by saying, “The government will be taking a much more forensic interest in North Yorkshire Council.”

I concluded the meeting by thanking everyone for their attendance, particularly the Parent Governor, Town Councillors, NYC Councillor and our MP, for having the courage to attend the meeting and possibly face criticism.

On behalf of the people who attended this meeting, I would be grateful for your responses to the five questions posed above as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

David Bradley B.Ed, FRSA

No reply was forthcoming from either the governing body, or from NYC Exec Councillor for Education Annabel Wilkinson. David Bradley replied to them on 20/05/2026

Dear Richard Fluin and Councillor Annabel Wilkinson,

I risk obloquy, but it is now two weeks since I wrote to you on behalf of the sixty-five attendees at the public meeting in the Whitby Rifle Club on the above date. Surely, they deserve a response from at least one of you?

The parents organised the meeting rather than petition you because they wanted to ask specific questions about the future of Whitby School and they wanted to begin a proper dialogue with you. They were also mindful of the fact that examination season had begun and they did not want to cause any distractions. Sadly, I have received nothing from you, even though I provided my e.mail address and postal address. You have not commented on the report which I drafted within twenty-four hours of the meeting, nor the questions which the parents agreed and posed to you. I have not even received an acknowledgement.

According to the school website the last Governing Body minutes to be published are for March, 2026. The full Governing Body must have met since this time to approve the appointment of an internal candidate for headship? An appointment which I heard about through social media, minutes after I had posted the letter to both of you. My Education Sub-Committee for Whitby Community Network (WCN) have been meeting the CEO for Wonder Learning Partnership (WLP) and the previous Chairman for two years and one of our ongoing concerns has been the lack of up-to-date Governing Body minutes on the website. We are shocked by the abruptness of the break with WLP. We are extremely concerned that their support will not be available in September and that their offer of support in the interim has been ignored. Why didn’t the Governing Body and the Local Authority appeal against the Department for Education’s decision? More puzzling still, is the fact that according to the school’s website David Perry remains as the Executive Headteacher until September when he is employed by WLP.

I have promised to report back to the public at the June meeting of WCN and I’m sure that the parents, students, elected members and parent governors who were courageous enough to attend the meeting at the Rifle Club will expect to hear your responses to the questions and your strategic plans for the school over the next twelve months. Perhaps you or your representative would like to attend this meeting? If you would, please call me and I will make arrangements with the secretary for WCN.

Yours sincerely,

David Bradley

Letter to NYC Regarding School Catchment Free Transport

Andy Jefferson — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 11:41:33 +0000

North Yorkshire Council changed their Home to School Transport Policy last year. The change means that children will only get free transport to their nearest school regardless of which school is their traditional catchment school. In the Whitby district, the traditional catchment school is Whitby School, but this NYC policy means that pupils in Castleton, Danby, Commondale, Westerdale, Staithes, Hinderwell and other villages will no longer get free transport to Whitby School.

David Bradley, former head of Eskdale School, has sent the following letter to all North Yorkshire councillors for the Whitby district.

Dear Councillors of North Yorkshire and Parents,

RE: NYC Home to School Transport Policy – Catchment Area Not Nearest School

I am writing to you as a former secondary headteacher with twenty years of experience – eighteen of them in North Yorkshire, regarding the Home to School Transport Policy which was adopted by the North Yorkshire Council (NYC) with effect from September 1^st, 2024. This policy was accepted by the council without any reference to the likely impact on families, schools and the local community in the interests of reducing the costs to NYC in the short term. The medium- and long-term impact on these same individuals and groups was not considered.

It is imperative that all councillors attend the extraordinary meeting arranged for 21st May, 2025 at County Hall to reconsider this issue because it will adversely affect schools in Tockwith, Kirk Hammerton, Boroughbridge, Settle, Swaledale, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby. Currently, schools in these areas are considering offering financial support to families for transport but in the longer term this will not be possible. The decision by the NYC to save money on transport in the short term, means that maintained or improved student numbers will be sacrificed on the altar of balancing books for this year or next rather than securing sufficient students to grow a local economy.

Short-termism has become the hallmark of recent NYC policies, and it really is time for councillors to think about the future with imagination, ambition and hope. All the data reveals that market towns and coastal resorts are very successful at attracting older people to take up residence in our areas, but we also need younger families to provide energy, ideas and workers in the hospitality, caring, maritime, agricultural, building and healthcare industries.

The concept of catchment area must be central to the “Home to School Transport Policy” in North Yorkshire rather than ‘nearest school’ regardless of boundary, if we are to: –

Ensure that children from one family follow their siblings to secondary school.
Preserve the concept of family of schools moving to secondary partners.
Develop a community identity where young people are proud of their area and school.
Embrace the notion, espoused by recent governments, to develop and enhance community cohesion.
Offer secondary education opportunities which attract a variety of learners.

Of course, all of those involved in this discussion are aware that local councils have been starved of cash by successive governments. However, to quote Einstein, we are not going to improve the outcome by constantly applying the same measures; we need to look at things differently. So, councillors please attend the meeting on May 21^st and parents please campaign peacefully at County Hall before the meeting. We must insist on bringing “Catchment Area Back” into the Home to School Transport Policy. If you do not reverse your earlier decision, it will further erode the development of traditional towns and villages and enable them to morph into retirement centres even more quickly.

Yours sincerely,

D.W. Bradley, B.Ed., FRSA

We encourage all residents to send their own letters, asking whether their NYC councillor will attend this meeting, and encouraging them to vote to BRING CATCHMENT BACK.

NYC councillors details are

Cllr Neil Swannick, Whitby Streonshalh division, mobile: 07771 934353, email: cllr.neil.swannick@northyorks.gov.uk
Cllr Phil Trumper, Whitby West division, mobile: 07740 103363, email: cllr.phillip.trumper@northyorks.gov.uk
Cllr David Chance, Danby & Mulgrave division, mobile: 07552 168573, email: cllr.david.chance@northyorks.gov.uk
Cllr Clive Pearson, Esk Valley & Coast division, phone: 01947 897372, email: cllr.clive.pearson@northyorks.gov.uk

Caedmon College Access

Andy Jefferson — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 08:56:24 +0000

Seemingly Caedmon College have sent out a communique to parents regarding picking up their children

Dear Parent/Carer

Please note that, for health and safety reasons, we cannot allow parents to drive down the College driveway in the mornings. It is requested, for student safety, that parents avoid coming onto the College site with vehicles, as far as possible. For this reason, the gate at the top of the Normanby Site’s driveway will be manned between 8.50am and 9.00am each morning then closed going forwards.

We must make this request due to the volume of College traffic and the limited walkway area around the driveway.

The car park at the top of the school drive is quite small and parents using it at the end of the day often find themselves struggling to park. The road down to the College has single yellow lines on one side, however, Mayfield Road has space for parking which is easy to access.

There are many students leaving the site at 3.30pm and we need it to be as safe as possible for them. Please avoid turning into the top car park if there is space on Mayfield Road. We would also ask you to be respectful of our neighbours and not block their access or park in the emergency parking bay.

Please can all parents also note that using Beever’s Car Park is not permitted for collecting or dropping off College students.

Thank you for your support and understanding in this matter.

We would question where is the space for parking on Mayfield Road? A school should be considering such issues when deciding to make their school capacity a particular number, in line with a school Travel Plan. If it is considered so dangerous, why did they not mention that in the merger “consultation”?

Avid WCN followers will remember that we posed the question to NYC about where is the transport plan to cope with the closure of Eskdale School. The reply was “Nevertheless, following the consultation exercise, I expect there to be further dialogue between Council departments, e.g. in relation to discussing whether any highway improvements are necessary, in order to ensure student safety remains a top priority”.

So we repeat the question, where is the transport plan? The numbers of students at Caedmon College Normanby site have seemingly gone up for the new school year, yet there has been no activity on addressing the danger on Mayfield Road, New Bridge or indeed anywhere else.

Question to NYC : Eskdale School Proposal consequence and 20mph

Andy Jefferson — Tue, 16 May 2023 15:17:55 +0000

In March 2023 at the “Scarborough and Whitby Area Constituency Committee” we submitted the following question

We have a current proposal to close one of the two secondary schools in the Whitby area. Should this proposal be passed that would mean circa 500 children from Whitby east-side having to walk anything up to 30 mins along a very busy road, part of which is 40mph with narrow pavements, and one part (Mayfield Road) with totally inadequate crossings. Even with the current walk to Eskdale school there are significant road safety issues for these same children. With this in mind Whitby Town Council passed a motion back in December 2022 requesting a default 20mph in the Whitby parish. A recent NYCC Scrutiny committee passed a motion requiring 20mph outside all schools and areas of high footfall. The current NYCC 20mph policy is widely seen as a mechanism for not introducing that limit, and no action has thus far been forthcoming from NYCC Transportation and Highways, just more “reviews” and “pilot”.

Does your committee consider it acceptable that children’s lives be put at risk on a daily basis just to get to an educational establishment, when there is a measure (20mph) that would make it inherently safer, but which is the subject of continual dither from Northallerton? Further to this, can you assure us that action will be forthcoming in the near future, because you do indeed actually value children’s safety?

Since we weren’t able to go to the meeting we weren’t able to find out whether it was asked, or what the answer was. We have now (15th May 2023) received the answer from Richard Marr, Area Highways Manager at NYC via an email from William Baines at NYC

May I first thank Whitby Community Network for their question and seek to assure them that NYCC takes its road safety responsibilities very seriously. As you will see from the Council’s response to the petition at Agenda item 8, the Council is only at the initial stage of consulting on a possible closure, no firm decision has yet been made either way. Nevertheless, following the consultation exercise, I expect there to be further dialogue between Council departments, e.g. in relation to discussing whether any highway improvements are necessary, in order to ensure student safety remains a top priority.

More widely, Members may recall that a revised 20mph Speed Limit Policy was introduced in January 2022, following its approval by the Executive. The positive changes, which highlight the importance of place and community and the role that a reduced speed limit has in improving road safety as well as achieving these broader ambitions, represent a demonstrable step forward in how requests for 20mph speed limits are now considered. Moreover, the Council is currently undertaking a review of the 20mph Speed Limit Policy, in part to see how well it has been embedded over the last twelve months or so, but in addition, to look at what further improvements can potentially be made. As part of that review, the Council is also considering how it should deal with area wide or default 20mph speed limit requests, which are beyond the scope of the existing Policy.

Apparently, the review of the 20mph Speed Limit policy referenced in the response is set to be considered by the NYC Executive at its meeting on 20 June 2023.

Education Proposal : Our Transport Submission

Andy Jefferson — Wed, 10 May 2023 07:34:05 +0000

The current proposal for amalgamation of Eskdale School with Caedmon College is in its second phase of “consultation” (we use the term loosely here since the points made in the first phase were not answered). We have made a submission about the transport implications. It is reproduced here. Will North Yorkshire Council address these points? or will they simply ignore them?

Regarding the proposal to house 1000 children on Caedmon College Normanby site instead of the current 600 we wish to comment on the transport situation.

There is still no transport assessment. The statement (presumably from Whitby Secondary Partnership) is seemingly not carried out by qualified transport assessors neither does it consider all aspects of the transport impact (because residents live around that area, and their residential area does actually matter to them).

With the current 600 pupils Mayfield Road is gridlocked around 8:45 and 3:30, with buses parking in the carriageway, as well as large numbers of vehicles parking to drop off/pick up their children. This parking is on ALL surrounding streets. Multiplying the amount of traffic by 5/3, which is what you are proposing, means that surrounding streets will be further inundated during those hours, as well as a general deterioration of the traffic situation on the (already) busiest road in the town. The vehicular entrance to Caedmon College Normanby needs a redesign so that buses do not cause a blockage.
Your proposal implies 400 children having to walk (when not being driven by parents) down (the racetrack) Helredale Rd, followed by crossing Whitby New Bridge (40mph, with footpaths that have no verge nor do they have width), followed by arrival at Mayfield Road. They will then need to cross that road. This raises the following
1. An NYCC Scrutiny Committee voted in Jan/Feb to require 20mph OUTSIDE ALL SCHOOLS AND AREAS OF HIGH FOOTFALL. Whitby Sixth Form is on New Bridge, yet has 40mph currently. Consequential to this vote and your proposal, the whole of New Bridge, and a section of Mayfield Road will need to be dropped to 20mph.
2. Crossing facilities on Mayfield Road (full length) are utterly inadequate currently, and with a further 400 pupils around 8:45 and 3:30 will be totally unacceptable. Specifically there is a single light-controlled crossing on the length of Mayfield Road … at the junction with Prospect Hill and New Bridge, and this crossing takes 3 minutes for the lights to change for pedestrians. Consequently it can be considered that crossing facilities will need a complete redesign,
3. The junction between Mayfield Road with Prospect Hill and New Bridge is the biggest bottleneck in the road system in Whitby currently, and this will get worse by directing further traffic due to this proposal, so the junction really also needs to be considered for a redesign whilst considering the crossings.
4. The junction between Spital Bridge / Larpool Lane and New Bridge is already listed as a problematic junction for NYC (allegedly due to be worked on / redesigned for “Town Deal” due to the chaos caused by closure of the Swing Bridge). This redesign will have to take into account the passage of a further 400 children on school days.
5. Inclusion of cycling in the School Travel Plan has to be considered, and clearly is impossible currently due to NYC’s sum total investment in Active Travel in the Whitby area of £0 to date. The LCWIP for this area is due to be developed this financial year. This has to include provision of cycle infra across New Bridge. This is yet a further reason for the bridge limit to be dropped to 20mph. Similarly the LCWIP will have implications for any redesign of the Mayfield Road area (e.g a cycle path along that road, and use of the disused bridge off Anchorage Way), and has to be borne in mind (otherwise you would only have to rework it later, at further cost to the taxpayer).

Until a full transport assessment has been carried out that considers all of these issues, and the associated cost calculated, we fail to see how any such proposal can go ahead; all associated costs should be included in the decision process (aka how “business” would make such a decision).

A reply was received from North Yorkshire Council, as follows

This is to acknowledge that the email below has been received by the School Organisation Team and will be considered as part of report to the Executive on 20th June 2023.

Education : Open Letter to NYCC

Andy Jefferson — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:55:59 +0000

As a direct follow-on from the current consultation into the proposal to close Eskdale School and amalgamate withe Caedmon College, we have written an open letter to Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, Exec Cllr for Education at NYCC.

Dear Councillor Wilkinson

First of all we would like to thank NYCC and the Governors for the Public meeting, and the excellent way you chaired a difficult meeting in the evening. I am sure none of us expected the outcome from the evening meeting with regard to the serious allegations of bullying and drug taking, and lack of food and water at Caedmon – Normanby site. I gather this has been common knowledge in Whitby for a long time, and the incident on the following Monday was a horrendous outcome of what appears to be the failing of the secondary school system in Whitby. We feel it would be helpful to the community if NYC commenced some dialogue with the community to identify what is being done to take this issue seriously.

We would like have a greater understanding of the position of North Yorkshire (County) Council (NYC) on provision of educational services for the Whitby catchment area, so we can respond with a better understanding for the proposal to amalgamate Caedmon College and Eskdale School from 1 September 2024 resulting in the closure of Eskdale School, Whitby.

Background : Whitby has a very different school catchment area, as well as a totally separate travel to work area to Scarborough – see attached maps, in fact Filey is much closely related to Scarborough on both counts. The decline in pupil numbers in Whitby appears to have accelerated since 2016 when the University Technical College was first opened in Scarborough, and more homes in Whitby have disappeared into second and holiday property markets, forcing young people and families out of Whitby & District.

We have been reviewing the reports submitted to the Scarborough and Whitby Area Constituency Committee – for example the minutes submitted to the Friday, 25th November, 2022 meeting, Minute 26: Schools, Educational Achievement & Finance and could find no plan for improving the education standards in Whitby or for dealing with falling pupil numbers which we find surprising following the announcement by the Governors shortly afterwards. Also it was disappointing to find that neither the long standing Councillors representing the catchment area, nor the Council officers appear to have queried why the Whitby Area catchment figures were never separated from the Scarborough catchment area, and why a plan had not been put in place to address this issue when falling numbers were first identified. The need for three senior schools in Whitby has been discussed for many years and we have never understood why a new school has not been built to save on maintenance and heating costs. The council appears to have failed to take any action to rectify this issue, and to ensure money was directed to educational needs in an area where achievement standards are below North Yorkshire and National Standards.

We are still extremely concerned over the Governance of the schools, how the decision was reached and the make-up of the school Governor’s board. We even emailed Mr Barry Khan, Assistant Chief Executive – legal and democratic services on the 23rd of January to ascertain if the proposal had been agreed according to the Constitution (this was not available to view) with the decision appearing to be invalid according to the Instrument of Government, however we failed to receive any response. These concerns appear to be still valid as the new appointments have not given a suitable cross section of parents, community and educational professionals. Also why has no local authority governor been in place since this Secondary school partnership was set up in 2019?

We have been advised at a meeting with the NYC Stronger Communities team that the new Council will not work in “Silos”, however there appears to be no sign of this with regard to this school proposal for Whitby. We are particularly concerned over the lack of ambition for education in the Whitby catchment area for both education and skills training for school aged pupils and adults, bearing in mind the advancements made and already in use in other countries for rural areas such as metaverse education. We would have expected with the launch of the NYC Climate Change Strategy Consultation, that distance to learning, the 15 minute neighbourhoods, and the need to reduce private car mileage by 48% would have been included into any long term planning for future education needs.

The proposal made by the Governors to the staff and via the letter to parents/carers from The Whitby Secondary Partnership in January 2023 is surely not the type of communication strategy fitting of a council wishing to be “the most local of all councils“. Can you please endeavour to provide better communication of such changes to local communities in the future?

We would like an open discussion of the education and skills training needs for the Whitby catchment area, and would welcome yourself (and indeed our NYC councillors who really ought to be representing residents interests on this, and other issues) to one of the Whitby Community Network meetings, particularly should you have something to offer that would improve the education and skills training of all our residents.

Yours sincerely

Whitby Community Network

Eskdale School : Open Letter from the Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale School group

Andy Jefferson — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 12:42:08 +0000

This is an open letter from the Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale School group directed to the Governors of Whitby Secondary Partnership (WSP) and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

We feel for the second time that this is the only option open to us.

Since you made the announcement on Jan 4th 2023, our requests for information to be able to form the full picture of what has happened and is happening in Whitby Secondary education have been blocked.

It took six weeks for the minutes of the WSP meetings to be released, the agenda for the WSP meetings were requested after the first public meeting on 8th March, some were released on the 21st March.

The confidential minutes were requested via a Freedom of Information request, and at the end of the 20 working day period Mr Henshaw extended it by another 20 working days stating that there had to be a public interest test. WHY? The deadline was moved to the 17th March. We have yet to receive notification of why the delay OR receive the requested minutes.

A complaint has now been sent to the ICO.

The WSP Governors missed the Whitby Town Council meeting to “prepare for the public meetings” yet at those meetings COULD NOT answer any questions clearly, lacked details, relied on the use of “could be” rather than “will be”, or just provided no details at all.

NYCC have allowed the Governors to run WSP outside of DfE guidelines for a while (remember only 4 governors passed the proposal)

The minimum number is 7 but MUST have 2 parent governors, 1 Local Authority, 1 staff, 1 head teacher – WSP have 1 parent, 1 staff, 1 head, with the rest as co-opts.
The total staff can not be more than one third of the governing body – they have three but only seven or eight members on the governing body. There should only be 2.
EGMs can be classed as confidential minutes BUT there must be agendas and the attendence recorded as a normal meeting would be – WSP have had three such meetings, and NO attendence or Agendas have been recorded for any.
Brian Crosby was co-opted on in January without an official meeting by NYCC but it is on the agenda for Feb as a LA governor nomination.

NYCC (soon to be North Yorkshire Council) are complicit with the hiding of information, and the wasting of public funds.

North Yorkshire Coast Opportunity Area “Our programme is prioritising work on improving early years education, boosting literacy and numeracy skills, and helping more secondary schools to become good or outstanding” – nowhere does it mention spending £250,000 on capital investment for a standalone 6th form site.

136 students on a site for 500+ with predicted failing numbers at 11-16 yet you say the numbers will increase – How?

NYCC added an extra £250,000, so this vanity project has had £500,000 of public funds, yet you say WSP can’t afford to employ teachers. Three of you can answer why this happened – Christina Zanelli, Brian Crosby MBE and Stuart Carlton – since you were on the board of NYCOA at the time. You are now doing everything in your power to protect your investment regardless of the effect on 11-16 children, now and in the future.

We request the following information be released so that the consultation, in its final week and a half, has a chance to be honest and transparent.

The confidential minutes in line with the Freedom of Information Act.
The agendas to ALL WSP meetings since July 2019
The evidence that other options have been looked at in-depth – as requested at the public meetings.
An explanation why WSP and NYCC have not publicly advertised the consultation to parents and children at both schools, all primary schools and the wider community.
An explanation of when, how and in what capacity did Brian Crosby MBE join the WSP governing body.

ONLY you know why you are hiding this information, and DO NOT want a full and honest consultation. We will not compromise on our children’s education. We will keep pushing for the truth, for transparency and most of all the best education for the children of Whitby, now and in the future.

Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale.

Eskdale School : vote of no confidence in Whitby Secondary Partnership

Andy Jefferson — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:24:27 +0000

Subsequent to the public meetings last week about the proposal to amalgamate Eskdale School and Caedmon College, there is an active petition as a vote of no confidence in the governors of those schools.

Clearly this is not legally binding, but more an expression of sentiment in the unsatisfactory nature of how this proposal has been handled, and how the schools are being governed.

A statement by the “Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale” group is shown below.

This is not just about the proposal, this vote of no confidence is about now!! –

Showing the Governors and NYCC that the problem is at the top – that these people are not the solution they are why it’s in the state.

A lot of children and parents are feeling let down now! – we are horrified at what some children have been through, and not having basis needs met is unacceptable.

Mr Henshaw admitted that they know there isn’t enough food for all of the children – they have contacted the catering company.

We know its not every child; it shouldn’t be any child.

The Governors are pushing for bigger curriculum and specialist staff from 24/25

Why hasn’t that always been the case?

Why don’t the children already there deserve the best?

A bigger curriculum doesn’t always mean more choice, it comes down to timetabling.

Where are the specialists teachers coming from…. shouldn’t they fight to keep the ones they have???

The dedicated staff who have no idea where they stand, there is no information for them about the staff restructure mentioned by the Governors.

The Proposal lacks details, and the present problems lack action.

In many respects it could be argued that this could include previous governance of those schools as well as NYCC, since the management of education in Whitby has been inadequate for several years with too much short termism and utter lack of overall strategy. The current incumbents are however responsible for how the schools are run now for current pupils, who deserve the best education.

Eskdale School : Opinion Piece #2 by David Bradley, former Headteacher

Andy Jefferson — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 12:45:10 +0000

Regarding the proposal to amalgamate Caedmon College Whitby and Eskdale School from 1 September 2024. This is an opinion piece by David Bradley, former Eskdale Headteacher, directed at Mr Stuart Carlton (Corporate Director, CYPS), Cllr Annabel Wilkinson (Exec Cllr for Education) and Strategic Planning at NYCC, following on from his original letter previously posted. The views expressed are those of the author.

I risk obloquy, because I attended both Consultation Meetings earlier this week, and this is my second letter to Strategic Planning about the above proposal. I realise that this letter repeats some of the themes in my first letter but the strength of feeling in the town is such that I feel it is my duty to advise you of a potentially unpleasant situation here in Whitby. Some of the comments in the meeting were unfair and too personalised. My congratulations to Councillor Wilkinson for handling the difficult evening meeting so well. I have also taken this step because far too many questions were left unanswered at the ‘Consultation Meetings’ and the process to date by the Federated Governing Body, has become a masterclass in how to manage significant educational change.

For the sake of clarity, I have divided my letter into two parts and numbered the questions and points I wish to make.

Part 1 : The Proposal

Four members of the Federated Governing Body made the decision to put the proposal to amalgamate the Whitby secondary schools to NYCC. When was this decision made? Where was this decision made? Do four members make a quorum? Was the Clerk to the Governors present?
Good practice in the management of change usually involves important stakeholders (e.g. students, parents and teachers) a proposal is tabled. The above proposal was announced at the start of the Spring Term and completely ‘out of the blue’. Year 6 students and their parents/carers had chosen a secondary school and Year 9 students were in the throes of making decisions about subject choices at 14+. The announcement included ‘the technical closure of Eskdale School’. So, no school for the Year 6s; no courses for Year 9s and a void for everyone else. Is this fair on students and parents? How are the staff supposed to handle this?
At the Consultation Meetings the Executive Headteacher outlined the progression routes for students and an aspirational curriculum within a new amalgamated school on two sites. As far as I know, this was the first time that any stakeholders, other than the governors, had seen this information. It was predicated on the belief that student numbers in the sixth form could be significantly increased in the future. This belief flies in the face of a trend where increasing numbers of sixth form students have chosen to travel to Scarborough, Pickering, Guisborough and Teesside. In 2011/12, there were 324 students in the sixth form, now there are 136. Financial data for the sixth form was not available at the meeting but we were assured that an attractive range of courses could be offered. Will a newly amalgamated school in Whitby really be able to compete with a UTC, TEC, Sixth Form College, and a range of specialist colleges elsewhere?
The Federation currently operates two separate budgets. Operating two schools across three sites brings a significant financial cost.” (page3 of NYCC Consultation Document) The Whitby Sixth Form occupies the Scoresby Site buildings (former Caedmon School) but who manages/operates the sixth form budget? Is it sensible for 136 students to occupy the second largest set of buildings out of the three sites? At the first Consultation Meeting many people were under the impression that the Sixth Form was being financially ‘propped up’ by money from the 11-16 budgets. At the second meeting it was stated categorically that none of the budgets for 11-16s was being used for the Sixth Form. However, we still do not know how healthy the Sixth Form budget is? I understand that £250,000 was provided by the Opportunities Fund and this was matched by NYCC. If this is correct, how has this money (£500K) been spent and what has been the impact? Councillor Abbott also indicated that £10 million had been successfully secured for the maritime hub.
For local people, the so-called ‘amalgamation’ of the two schools appears to be nothing more than a euphemism for the reorganisation of secondary education and post 16 education in Whitby. They are going to lose the 3G pitch they fought so hard for; they are going to lose the freedom to choose a secondary school and the cherished idea of keeping small schools open, wisely championed by NYCC for so long, appears not to apply in Whitby once you reach eleven years of age! What happened to, choice, diversity, and every child matters? The amalgam in this proposal seems little better than a ‘temporary filling’ – will it fall out before we reach home?
Discussions about one new secondary school in Whitby have been ongoing since 1972/3 when Whitby was last reorganised. I know from my work in Darlington that such an enterprise would cost between £25 and £30 million to achieve. If this money were to be ‘found’, I very much doubt that it would be built on the former Whitby Grammar School site because the access is very poor, it is wedged between two main roads, the playing fields are extremely limited, there is no access for buses or coaches, and importantly it is very close to the centre of an increasingly busy coastal resort. I am, therefore, staggered that the proposal by the Federated Governing Body is to move most of the the amalgamated school’s population to this potentially hazardous, congested, and dangerous site. Even more concerning, is the fact that an even greater number of students will have to cross the Mayfield Road to access the playing fields and astroturf facilities. This not only puts the students at risk, but it places unnecessary pressure on teachers and support staff who must manage this movement. It also reduces the learning time for students in PE and Games at a time when the Government is, quite rightly, highlighting the need for greater investment and involvement following the success of women in sport.
The student populations of Whitby secondary schools have been smaller than the national averages for the last fifty years. Members of the Federated Governing Body seemed to be suggesting at the consultations that increasing the student population to be nearer the national average for schools would be a good thing. This is not necessarily the case. Much depends on how the school curriculum is organised and taught. I accept that it is easier to offer a broader range of subjects at 14+ in a larger school but many students thrive in a smaller population where they are known, valued, and cherished. In my opinion, meeting the needs of every learner is a much more important ‘imperative’ (page 3 Consultation Document) than developing a broader choice of options at 14+. In school, developing the learner’s confidence and skills between the ages of four and fourteen is crucial. Examination requirements should not dictate the school ethos.
The proposal for the amalgamated school is firmly rooted in the current student figures for the area. It was suggested that the new housing developments would only attract about another sixty students. If this is the case, the aspiration for a larger sixth form population in the future seems even more doubtful. Admittedly, some houses remain unsold, and some contractors have moved to other sites for the time being. However, the economic climate will hopefully improve; house prices have reduced in the last few months; the Covid pandemic has encouraged some families to work from home and some of these will re-locate to the coast. We have also been assured that the new mine will bring a surge of workers and their families. The developers clearly believe this, because of the number of three and four-bedroomed houses being built – these are unlikely to be holiday homes. Will the amalgamated school on a split site be able to accommodate an influx of new students? Has any consideration been given to future-proofing the new arrangements?
This proposal has caused a lot of real concern and damage within the community. I know that many teachers are considering moving or retiring; some parents are considering moving and a significant number are applying to private schools. The possible closure of a school is always upsetting but there has also been a complete disregard for the fact that the schools are amongst biggest employers in the area. Other members of the community are concerned about the possible reduction in green space, the money which has been spent on the 3G pitch, the costs associated with the appointment of an Executive Headteacher and most importantly the loss of choice at 11+. The original timescale for the change was ridiculous and the amended date of September 2024 leaves little time for planning and sensitive briefing for students and parents – moving a student in the middle of a two-year examination course is not acceptable. I urge elected members to reject this proposal and require the Federated Governing Body to consult widely with all stakeholders before preparing a series of proposals with a completion/delivery date of September 2025. In the event of this not being possible, I would humbly suggest that an Interim Management Board be formed under the leadership of the Corporate Director for CYPS. The Board must include people with experience of the management of change, and a wide skill set so that the mistakes of the recent past are not repeated.

Part 2 : Another Proposal

Develop two 11-16 schools on the Eskdale and former Caedmon School sites under the strategic direction of two separate Governing Bodies and two separate headteachers. The schools should be allowed to develop their own ethos and curriculum. A ‘soft’ partnership or ‘confederation’ could be formed so that human and material resources can be shared where appropriate.
The former Whitby Grammar School site (Normanby Site) should be ‘put on the market’ for sheltered accommodation and a range of affordable housing because of its proximity to the town, harbour, bus, and railway station. Hopefully, some of the money from this can be directed to the two schools? A lockable parking area for residents, play area, gardens and a small satellite hub for maritime studies/training and some vocational courses (Health and Beauty, Tourism and Hospitality and Care) under the direction of the TEC or UTC could be included, particularly for students who do not wish to travel to Scarborough or Teesside. Perhaps the promised £10million could also be used on this site?

Conclusion

In the ideal world, one brand new 11-18 comprehensive school is my preferred option. However, I do not believe that this is possible nor likely in the present economic climate. I think that my proposal would be more acceptable to the local community, particularly if the façade of the Whitby Grammar School could be retained. I honestly do not think that a large Whitby Sixth Form will ever materialise because of the competition in Scarborough and Teesside. Having said that, we do need to provide a limited facility for more vulnerable students who will be unable/unwilling to travel. Hopefully others will have even better and more acceptable proposals to offer.

Clearly, as a former Headteacher of Eskdale School I am very saddened that it is threatened once again with closure. However, I would be writing much the same if the former Caedmon School were threatened with closure.

Yours sincerely,

David Bradley

Eskdale School : Opinion Piece by David Bradley, former Headteacher

Andy Jefferson — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:54:59 +0000

Regarding the proposal to amalgamate Caedmon College Whitby and Eskdale School from 1 September 2024. This is an opinion piece by David Bradley, former Eskdale Headteacher. The views expressed are those of the author.

1. Introduction

The proposal to NYCC by four governors of the Whitby Secondary Partnership to amalgamate two schools is, in fact, a plan to reorganise secondary education in Whitby. In my view, it is not the collective view of a Governing Body and as such it has no more legal authority than the views of any four individuals. I understand that the ‘Federated Governing Body’ should consist of thirteen members. How can four governors be considered a quorum?

A reorganisation of this magnitude should have been a topic for consideration by all the students, parents/guardians, teachers, support staff and significant members of the local community before any proposal was presented to elected members. The proposal ‘came out of the blue’ on the first day of term in January 2023. Worse still, the original date for closure of Eskdale School was September 2023. What did this do to the confidence and morale of children, carers, and staff in our two schools? Thankfully, the time frame has been extended but the original proposal had none of the hallmarks of good, strategic planning. How did the parents of Year 6 students feel when they had just made their choice of secondary school?

The management of change is a complex issue and good practice dictates involving the gathering of opinions, consultation with a variety of interested groups and the consideration of several options by the community. As far as I am aware, none of this has happened. To say that the consultation is happening now (February/March 2023) is both insulting and naïve. In truth, the young people and their parents/guardians have been treated with contempt. The damage has been done, and it could have been easily avoided. Now there is uncertainty and young people, parents and staff are angry, and some will vote with their feet.

Most upsetting of all, is the fact that educational standards can only be further damaged in the short term and there is only one plan on offer in the longer term.

Some members of the local community will undoubtedly feel that Eskdale is an easy target for closure because of its proximity to a new housing development. It is critically important that elected members absorbing information from this consultation understand that their decisions must be based on sound educational principles rather than financial expediency.

2. Pupil Numbers

Supporters of the “Save Eskdale” campaign are correct to emphasise that 73.8% of the Eskdale total capacity has been realised, whereas only 51.2% of the Caedmon College has been reached. Why?

North Yorkshire County Council has a proud record of keeping small primary schools open even when numbers fall dramatically. It has long been realised that young people from rural backgrounds thrive in small schools which are integral parts of their community. Why are the same principles not applied in the secondary sector in Whitby? When Caedmon and Eskdale were 11-14 schools they enjoyed considerable academic, sporting, and creative success because they had strong community support around them and they were in friendly competition. During the 1990s both schools were in the top ten percent nationally for Key Stage 3 results for several years and each school won a series of kite marks for sport, art, drama, and journalism. Both schools were also at the forefront for careers and healthy schools’ status.

Why have two small 11-16 schools on the Eskdale and former Caedmon site not been considered?

The pupil numbers over the last ten years have decreased and to some extent, young people are showing us why this happening. At sixteen, young people are attracted to the broader range of subjects on offer in Scarborough and Teesside/Redcar/Guisborough. They vote with their feet! Who can blame them? It is very unlikely that Whitby will ever be able to offer such a broad post sixteen choice.

3. Choice

In making decisions about secondary education in Whitby, it is imperative that the sites for education are future-proofed. We must have sites which have decent playing fields, are capable of expansion, have reasonable access for buses and are not too near the town centre. We know that there are several housing developments in Whitby, and we know that since Covid more people are working from home and gradually people are relocating from urban centres to the country and coast. A choice of 11-16 schools is an important and attractive feature for any family considering relocation to Whitby. There is real concern in the Whitby area about holiday homes and the tendency for older people to settle here in retirement. We are more likely to improve this demographic if we preserve choice at primary and secondary level. An influx of young families could bring new businesses, new ideas and energy and this could bring about a more outward-facing community.

Of course, we cannot always have choice at secondary level and Pickering is a good example, but it is much smaller than Whitby and Whitby has the buildings and space at the moment. We do not want to find ourselves closing or moth-balling school buildings to then re-open them as happened in Northallerton. This created a lot of anger; frustration, upset and it was costly on several levels.

It is not an accident that today’s parents are demanding choice in Whitby. They grew up at a time when educational reform was a priority for UK governments. The 1988 Education Act gave schools their own budgets and a raft of subsequent legislation was underpinned by concepts of diversity and choice. The “Every Child Matters” agenda focussed our attention on the individual, and aspired to bring educational, social and health agencies together. It was a laudable enterprise, and the principles are still worth pursuing. The current amalgamation proposal appears to have little regard for these worthy educational principles. It has become a matter of: -“We have too many buildings, not enough children and not enough money. Let’s close Eskdale, call it an amalgamation and use the money to improve the other two sites.” Have we tried looking at this scenario through the eyes of a learner? What do they think? How can they be proud of their school when people keep wanting to change, close or sell it?

The campaign groups in Whitby are rightly fighting this proposal because they want choice at 11+ but they also want a quality experience for their children now. They no longer regard school as a ‘waiting room for life’; they want school to be a safe, happy and productive experience now. In fact, exactly what was enshrined in the legislation mentioned above.

4. Post-16 Provision

Whitby Sixth Form is currently housed in a large building with very large playing fields. The move to the former Caedmon School site was an attractive option but has it provided value for money?

We know from the financial reports that the present 11-16 budgets have propped up the sixth form provision for some time. There are only 136 students in the sixth form at the present time – 42.5% of its take-up in 2010. This is not an effective use of limited resources.

Caedmon School housed between 450-550 students when it was an 11-14 school. Admittedly, the staircases are narrow and access to the site could be better, but it is hugely better than the access to the former Whitby School. Congestion on Mayfield Road at the start and finish of the school day are a matter of real concern. The former Caedmon School would make an attractive 11-16 site.

In my view, most post sixteen students can travel for their courses. Most of these students will have to travel for their training and HE opportunities at 18+ but given the current numbers and the likely future numbers, continuing to preserve post 16 courses in Whitby is an expensive luxury which financially damages provision for students in the 11-16 sector. Scarborough has a Sixth Form, a UTC, and a ‘TEC’ college, how can Whitby compete?

I do appreciate that some post 16 students with special needs may need to stay in Whitby but there are opportunities at the Whitby Sea Fishing School, the Ropery, Coliseum and through a variety of educational support services which already operate in the schools.

5. Buildings

In the ideal world, a brand new 11-19 comprehensive built over the next five years might solve some of the issues. However, it would cost about £30 million and as far as I know this is very unlikely to materialise, particularly in the present economic climate. I remember this being talked about by the Joint Governors’ Committee of the Whitby Schools in 1999. The first Whitby Secondary Partnership was created in 2001, and this was a ‘soft’ partnership where we sought to share resources, ideas, equipment, and staff. All schools were equal, and the emphasis was on partnership rather ‘take-over’.

Although the former Whitby School has the greatest pupil capacity, it has dreadful access and is very close to town. It has very limited playing fields, a mixture of newer buildings, including the ROSLA block which is an eyesore and a sports hall. Of course, originally it was a two-form entry grammar school, and it does have a beautiful façade. In my view, this site is the one to sell for affordable housing for young, local people to begin their journey on the property ladder. Other projects in the town seem to be falling short on this area of need. There is sufficient space for play areas, communal areas for groups, sufficient space for parking and residents can walk into town for shops, as well as the bus and train stations. There may also be scope for some sheltered housing on this site. The school’s original façade could also be retained like the convent/Lower Graham building in St. Thomas Street, Scarborough.

6. Conclusions

I am firmly of the view that two small 11-16 schools on the Eskdale and former Caedmon School sites, is the best solution to the long-term problem of surplus places. This option gives choice back to parents and children. It is also the least disruptive to this age-group. Each school can develop its own family atmosphere/ethos and young people will be on one site with plenty of fields and facilities. Importantly, each school will have to work hard to maintain and improve standards because they are competing.

It would be sad to have no sixth form in Whitby, but events elsewhere have left us with little choice. Closure of the sixth form is more easily managed over a limited period than the amalgamation of two schools over two sites. I have led schools on split sites, and it brings a range of issues which detract from teaching and learning.

I have nothing but admiration for all of the staff who have been working in the Whitby secondary schools through the pandemic and through this extended period of uncertainty. The uncertainty must stop soon because it is damaging for our community. It is also having a detrimental impact on standards of education.

The former Whitby School site is a valuable one. Many local people have fond memories of it. I am disappointed that the consultation document does not provide us with market values for any of the sites. I am also genuinely concerned that new housing developments pay lip service to the need for affordable housing and young, local people are priced out of the market.

We need some strategic thinking – no more quick fixes! Our young people need to feel proud of their schools, not ashamed of the shambles. Let’s put young people and their learning first.

Yours faithfully,
D.W Bradley, B.Ed. FRSA

P.S. I was Headteacher of Eskdale School 1991-2005, Headteacher of Haughton Community School (later the Darlington Education Village) 2005-2006 and Headteacher of Allertonshire School, Northallerton, 2006-2010. I have lived in the Whitby area since August 1991.