Parents in Whitby are expressing immense disappointment and demanding answers following a fiery public meeting regarding the future of secondary education and the decision not to join the Wonder Learning Partnership.
Parents in Whitby say they are ‘immensely disappointed’ and feel ‘back at square one’ following a fiery public meeting over the future of the town’s secondary education.
The meeting, attended by more than 60 parents, students, and local leaders, was sparked following a decision that Whitby School would not join the Wonder Learning Partnership.
It follows the amalgamation of Eskdale School and Caedmon College Whitby – despite intense campaigning against the plan by many parents – which was approved by North Yorkshire Council and saw the creation of Whitby School in 2024.
The plan faced considerable opposition from both parents and politicians over concerns about the provision of choice as well as financial implications, but the authority said that it was “necessary due to low pupil numbers and significant financial challenges at both schools”.
Several issues were raised by speakers at last week’s meeting, from safeguarding to communication.
“Several parents were concerned that the school did not always know whether their child was in school”, according to minutes of the meeting, while “some reported that the school had contacted them about an absence when the child was in attendance”.
Parents said they were concerned that students often had three or four form tutors, and many attendees also highlighted the “number of supply teachers being used by the school because of absent staff”.
“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,” according to a letter sent to school and council leaders after the meeting.
In a response shared with parents and carers, the school’s board of governors said this week that it was “important to enable the school to focus on the right things at a critical time for the children it serves and this feedback will be able to inform our structured forum in due course”.
They noted:
“It would be helpful if representatives from the meeting were able to offer constructive feedback after the event to inform a wider listening exercise.”
The board added:
“We fully appreciate the call for communication following the recent decisions which have affected the school substantially. It must be reiterated that these events were not within the control of the school or governors.
“We do think that it is important to engage with the community at an appropriate venue and time that is facilitated by the school and governing body; this will need to accurately represent the wider Whitby School community voice. We are also engaging with the Local Authority about the future direction for the school and are at the very early stage of this process as the DfE decision has been very recent.”
David Bradley, a former head of Eskdale School, who chaired the meeting, said:
“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?”
Last week’s meeting concluded with comments from Scarborough and Whitby’s MP, Alison Hume, who 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 minister for schools, and concluded by saying:
“The government will be taking a much more forensic interest in North Yorkshire Council.”
The meeting resolved to demand answers from North Yorkshire Council and the school’s board of governors to several questions, including why the endorsed Wonder Learning Partnership was not approved.
Questions about the appointment of a head teacher, the council’s strategic plan for the school, and when the minutes of the governors’ board meetings would be published were also raised.
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