Proposal to Merge Whitby's Two Secondary Schools Progresses

Plans to close Whitby's Eskdale School and merge it with Caedmon College have moved to the next stage.

North Yorkshire Council has approved a decision to publish official notices about the proposal to close the Eskdale School site, and move all pupils to the Caedmon College site.

It means there will now be a further four week's of public consultation before a final decision is taken in June.

Opponents to the plan say it will remove choice for Whitby students but the co-chair of governors at the Whitby Secondary Partnership, Su Crossland, says not making changes would mean reducing subject choices for pupils.

The council's executive voted unanimously to move the merger proposal to the next stage.

That decision mean there will be a  further four-week consultation period on the plan with members of the public invited to make comments on the proposal by sending them to the council by 5pm on May 25, 2023.

Whitby Councillor David Chance thinks it is the best thing for education in the town.

Following an initial  six-week consultation period, which included two public meetings at Whitby Pavilion, the decision is set to see the technical closure of Eskdale School and pupils and staff moved to Caedmon College from September 1, 2024.

The money saved is set to allow investment in a broader curriculum which can offer pupils more opportunities and the chance to develop skills which meet their needs.

Whitby Councillor - Neil Swannick - says he's concluded keeping two sites isn't viable but thinks there could still be discussion over what a single site school looks like in the long term.

Councillor Greg White feels that the plan will result in an improved education offer for students in Whitby.

There remains significant opposition to the proposal in Whitby.

Terri-Anne Jones, who has campaigned for Eskdale School to be kept open, spoke at the meeting and criticised the Whitby Secondary Partnership and North Yorkshire Council’s decision-making regarding the proposed amalgamation.

She said:

“The report that you have in front of you is not a true representation of the education system in place in Whitby and unfortunately it lacks detail, transparency, and most of all, accountability.”

Terri-Anne raised concerns about the accuracy of statements made at public meetings regarding the amalgamation and school finances, as well as adherence to guidelines set by the Department for Education she added:

“Two small schools working together, while embracing their differences. Decreasing numbers and budget deficits are not a problem as both schools are near to capacity and future decreasing numbers can be managed,”

“Proper leadership at the top drives up standards and this is what Whitby has lacked for years.”

Eskdale School and Caedmon College, including Whitby Sixth Form, federated in July 2019, sharing an executive headteacher and a governing body. But the combined pressures of falling pupil numbers and financial challenges faced by both schools prompted the proposal.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said:

“We know schools have very close ties to their local area and communities. That is why closing schools is one of the most difficult decisions we can make, and not one we would ever choose to do unless we had no other choice.

“But the quality of education for our children, and strength of the whole school system in Whitby, must take priority.  

“We, as a council, are keen to provide greater stability and ensure we maintain the best possible environment in which our children can learn and fulfil their true potential.”

The governing board set out three factors that led to the proposal for the amalgamation, acknowledging low pupil numbers, significant financial challenges at both schools and an imperative to give the “best education and curriculum to the young people of Whitby”.

Statutory notices will now be published which will provide the opportunity for representations to be made over a four-week period up until Thursday, May 25.

A final decision is then due to be taken by North Yorkshire Council’s executive on Tuesday, June 20. If agreed, the schools will amalgamate from September 1st 2024.