Rural school under threat after pupil numbers fall

Plans for a public consultation on whether to close a rural primary school which has just eight pupils are under consideration after concerns over falling enrolment.

Bilsdale Midcable Chopgate Church of England Primary, in the village of Chop Gate near Stokesley, has capacity for 48 pupils - but at the last Ofsted inspection in November 2023 only 15 were on roll.

Since then numbers have declined further and only half of the current eight pupils are expected to remain at the school at the end of this academic year.

North Yorkshire Council said any proposal affecting a village school was "considered very carefully".

The local authority said the school's governing board had raised concerns that falling numbers could have a significant impact on both the quality of education and wider social opportunities available to children.

They added that forecasts indicated that pupil numbers could reduce to four in 2027/28 and then three in 2028/29.

With only eight children currently attending Bilsdale Midcable, the council said all of them live outside the school's catchment area and a significant part of the building is unused.

Bilsdale Midcable is also facing a difficult financial position, North Yorkshire Council said.

School leaders said they forecast a budget deficit of £189,200 by 2028/29, with no viable long-term recovery plan found due to the low number of school-age children living within the catchment area.

As a result, the local authority said the governing board had asked them to request a consultation on a plan to decide on the fate of the school's future.

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, executive member for education, learning and skills, will decide if a public consultation should be carried out, gathering feedback from the community, parents, carers and other stakeholders.

She said that the council "recognises that rural schools are often at the heart of their communities" and will carefully consider if a public consultation should proceed.

If it is given the go-ahead, a five week public consultation will start in November.

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