Decision to close Harrogate school with just six pupils given final go ahead

A Harrogate district primary school that has just six pupils will close its doors for the final time at the end of the summer term.

The decision to shut Kell Bank Church of England Primary School near to Masham has come after a report found the school would fall into a deficit of around £50,000 by 2023.

The school is celebrating it's 200th anniversary this year, but with pupil numbers dwindling from 45 to six since 2013, it'll be its last.

Stuart Carlton, the council’s director of children and young people’s service, said: “Whenever we have to take forward a proposal for school closure we do so with a heavy heart. We know the value of village schools but such low numbers cannot financially sustain a school and can have a negative impact on the social and educational interests of children remaining.

“During the consultation on closure there was generally an acceptance that with only six pupils on roll, the school would not be able to continue. This week’s decision to close Kell Bank is immensely sad given its long history but there was no alternative in the circumstances.”

There were also concerns that the children currently being taught there would be cut off from others their own age- and would miss out on team sports.

Two pupils in year six will progress to high school- while the remaining four children will be given places at another school in Masham.