September 2025
Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled), West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) and Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Primary Schools are separate schools. The schools work together in a federation under the governance of a single federated governing board. This arrangement has ensured that good practice in the schools is shared. The federation’s governors have agreed to ask us to restructure the federation by changing the age ranges of two schools and closing one school.
The federation governing board and ourselves have agreed to consult stakeholders on a proposal to create separate infant and junior schools serving children aged 3 to 11, from 1 September 2026. Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary and Nursery School would become an infant school with an age range of 3 to 7 years and Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School would become a junior school with an age range of 7 to 11 years, while West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School would close.
It is proposed that Askrigg and Bainbridge schools will restructure from 1 September 2026 and that the newly organised schools will subsequently be called Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Infant and Nursery School and Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Junior School.
Please take time to look at the proposals and then send us your views by the closing date on Friday 7 November 2025.
We look forward to hearing from you.
There will be a public meeting on Wednesday 8 October at 6pm at Askrigg Primary School, Yorebridge, Askrigg, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 3BJ.
Background
The villages of Askrigg, Bainbridge and West Burton and the areas of Wensleydale directly around them are currently served by three separate small primary schools. A single federated governing board is responsible for the governance of Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary and Nursery School and West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School and Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School and an executive headteacher works with the federated governing board to make sure that good standards of teaching and learning are available for all pupils.
The current structure of the federation was established as a proactive response to the low numbers of pupils in the schools and have enabled the federation to provide sustainable education to pupils within the catchment areas and involve pupils of a similar age from across the federation being taught together in single classes. This means that, although parents/carers select at which school to enrol their children, the governing board has arranged the education of some of the federation’s pupils to be in a school other than the one at which they are enrolled. The federated governing board has provided transport for some pupils to move between the schools involved in the federation.
The federated governing board proposes to change the way it operates the schools following advice from ourselves. The proposed changes will formalise the federation’s organisational structure and will ensure that the schools comply with Government regulations about School Admissions and Registration.
The federated governing board would like to confirm that their aim is for the proposals to result in only minimal impact upon the way in which pupils are taught in each school and that they will work closely with pupils and parents to implement them.
Why is a change required?
During summer 2024, we received legal advice that the model that had been established by the federation was not compliant with the provisions of the Education Act 1996 and the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 which govern the arrangements for school admissions and registration. The advice, which was partly informed by information provided by the Department for Education (DfE), noted that pupils are required to receive their education at the school at which they are registered.
This advice means that the current organisational arrangements within the federation are not compliant with the regulations and that the federated governing board needs to implement a change so that the arrangements become compliant.
We advised the federated governing board of possible solutions/ restructure options, set out below, which the federated governing board has carefully considered.
Following its consideration of the options the federated governing board has submitted proposals for the closure of West Burton CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School and for the establishment of separate infant and junior schools and believes that this option will enable to best meet the needs of the community and to continue to provide a high standard of education to pupils.
In order that it can do this, we are required to follow a statutory process that includes this period of consultation.
You are encouraged to give your views on the proposals.
Summary of the options considered
The federated governing board reviewed each of the options and considered a range of criteria, including the potential impact upon teaching and learning, management and financial implications prior to reaching a conclusion about its preferred option.
The table below provides a summary of the options, the issues involved and of the federated governing board’s conclusion:
| Description | Why was the option discounted or recommended? | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
The federated governing board did not consider there to be sufficient pupils on roll at the schools for this to be a viable option. | Discounted |
|
The federated governing board concluded that there would be insufficient space on one school site for the full age range, including nursery provision. | Discounted |
|
Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified that this option would result in a significant reduction in the revenue received compared to that currently received by the federation and considered that that would have a detrimental impact upon the schools if it were to be pursued. | Discounted |
|
Utilising the indicative financial model provided by the council, the federated governing board identified this option as providing the most sustainable solution. It concluded that the option would enable the current efficiencies associated with the federation to be maintained, without the significant financial impact associated with Option 3 above. The federated governing board noted a risk arising from the Home to School Travel Policy such that, if a joint catchment area is served, then for some pupils the infant or junior schools may not be the nearest suitable school to their home address for travel eligibility purposes. |
The federated governing board requested that the council consider a number of linked proposals arising from their conclusion and, if approved, to undertake the required statutory processes to enable them to be implemented. |
The proposal
After careful consideration of all the options, the federated governing board requested that we consult on their proposals to restructure the federation into separate infant and junior schools.
The federated governing board’s proposal is:
- that West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School should be closed (this is detailed further below, in the next section)
- that the age range of Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School should be changed from 3 to 11 to 3 to 7 such that it should become Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Infant and Nursery School
- that the age range of Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Primary School should be changed from 4 to 11 to 7 to 11, such that it should become Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Junior School
- that the two remaining schools should have a shared catchment area that comprises an amalgamation of the current catchment areas of the three schools
- to establish a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 15 at each of the two schools
- that the proposal be implemented from 1 September 2026
The federated governing board have confirmed their intention to continue to operate as a federation. This will ensure that they continue to benefit from doing so, including through shared governance and leadership, enhanced educational opportunities and resource efficiency.
Should the proposal be implemented, the change would take effect from 1 September 2026.
The proposed closure of West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School
West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School is a rural school. The DfE’s guidance (opening and closing maintained schools, Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers, October 2024) notes that decision makers are expected to adopt a presumption against the closure of rural schools. However, the guidance confirms that this does not mean that a rural school will never close but that the case for closure should be strong and clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area.
The school has a capacity for 51 pupils and there are currently 15 pupils on the school’s roll.
In 2013 Askrigg and Bainbridge schools formed a Collaboration and in 2014 West Burton joined the Collaboration. In 2016 the BAWB Federation was created and “BAWB” refers to the first letter of each school name. Due to the organisation arrangements that were implemented by the federation, 22 pupils received their education at the school and the remaining pupils were transported to the other schools within the federation, where they received their education alongside peers from other schools. West Burton Church of England Primary School was last inspected by Ofsted in June 2023 which judged the overall effectiveness of the school to be Good.
The BAWB federation’s governing board temporarily suspended teaching at the West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School site with effect from 1 September 2024 and transported pupils registered at the school to either the Bainbridge or Askrigg sites, according to their age. This decision was taken because of the low numbers on the school roll and because of issues associated with the transport of pupils between the various school sites, this included a loss of learning time within the school day. The federated governing board considered that the decision was necessary to ensure the continued provision of high quality education within the federation.
There are currently three neighbouring schools located within 10 miles of West Burton Primary School, including the two federation schools at Askrigg and Bainbridge. Across the three schools there is a combined net capacity of 163 places but there is currently a total of 65 surplus places.
As noted above, the federated governing board’s proposal regarding the closure of West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School forms part of a series of linked proposals which includes a proposal for the school’s catchment area to be combined with those of Bainbridge and Askrigg.
We will engage with the parents of all pupils who are registered on West Burton’s roll to discuss the requirement for them to apply for an alternative school place should a closure be agreed, including if it is their intention to transfer to either of the proposed infant or junior schools in the federation.
The school site is wholly owned by a charitable trust and will revert to the trust if a decision is made for it to close.
Why are they proposing change now?
The executive headteacher and governing board have written out to parents about the changes that are being proposed. The proposals will ensure that the schools are compliant with the regulations and will also benefit pupils by building on the work that the federation has already undertaken. The federated governing board think that that learning and progress can be even better if each school is targeted to a Key Stage, with the infant school nurturing early childhood development through play and interactive exploration and the junior school gradually preparing children for secondary school.
How would the schools be governed and managed?
Under the proposal the schools would continue to operate as a federation. The federation would continue to have a single federated governing board.
There would continue to be a single executive headteacher who would provide leadership in both schools. The current executive headteacher would continue in their role.
What would the schools look like?
Under the proposed new structure, children would be taught at the school in which they are registered within the federation. The following would also apply:
Transition
Transition between Key Stages would be marked since it would coincide with a transition between schools. It is considered that the federated schools would work together to deliver a smooth transition and help to ensure that the good progress made by children at Key Stage 1 is maintained and built upon at Key Stage 2.
Admissions
Should the proposal be implemented, places for infant children currently enrolled at Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School or West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School would be made available at Bainbridge Church of England Infant School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.
Should the proposal be implemented, places for junior children currently enrolled at Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School or West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School would be made available at Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Junior School. Parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.
In the future, pupils on roll at Bainbridge Church of England Infant and Nursery School would not automatically transfer to Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Junior School. It would be necessary to apply for a place at the junior school, for provision through to age 11. Parents of children attending the infant school would need to express a preference and when they are making their decision parents could also express a preference for any alternative school.
Admissions to Bainbridge Church of England Infant and Nursery and Askrigg (Voluntary Controlled) Junior schools would continue to be managed by ourselves in accordance with its admission policy for community and voluntary controlled schools.
Admissions catchment areas
Under the proposal, both the infant and junior schools would serve the catchment areas separately served by each of BAWB’s three separate primary schools. For this reason, the catchment areas would be merged, with each extended to include the others. These arrangements would be implemented from September 2026 only in the event of the infant/ junior restructure. The shared catchment area is shown on the map here (pdf / 2 MB).
Home to school travel
Eligibility for assistance with home to school travel would be determined in accordance with our home to school travel policy, including any decision to provide discretionary eligibility linked to the federated governing board’s proposals.
It is proposed that special considerations or discretion be given to pupils already on roll at the point that consultation was requested in September 2025. It is proposed that we provide discretionary travel for children, already assessed as eligible for travel and on roll at schools on 1 September 2026, within the federation schools for the duration of their education at the schools within the same federation, subject to there being no change in their circumstances. This will enable the schools to move to compliant arrangements and would be a time limited discretionary provision so that children already on roll could maintain continuity of education within the federations that they are already registered, in the event that the school organisation proposals result in them having to move to a different school within the federation due to the age range changes. An example would be a current Year 1 child who attends a primary school but who is required to move to an infant school for Year 2 before returning the nearest suitable school at the time of the transfer. This acknowledges our commitment to continue eligibility under the 2019 policy for children in schools before September 2024.
Any new applications for assistance with home to school travel to either school received after 1 September 2026 would only be considered under the current home to school travel policy, unless part of a linked proposal that is decided by us.
Religious designation
Bainbridge Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary and Nursery School is denominational and the infant school would continue as a school with a religious designation. The Diocese plays an active part in the life of the BAWB federation. As Church of England schools, the school organisation proposals for Bainbridge and West Burton would also require approval from the Diocesan Board of Education.
Learning and progress
The federated governing board has confirmed that pupils would be in class groups with their peers. The proposals of separate infant and junior schools share the benefit of greater numbers of children being together in similar age groups and curriculum groups.
The schools would aim to have integrated arrangements for the assessment of learning, including recording of progress and transition across the infant and junior schools. As now, each separate school would have its own Ofsted inspection and its own budget. With the agreement of the governing board and approval of local authority officers, schools within federations can continue to request to amalgamate budgets.
Finance
Capital position
Capital investment is not included within the proposal.
Revenue position
School budgets are funded largely by pupil numbers so the proposal would not lead to an increase in revenue funding. The school organisation proposal of infant and junior schools provides the same level of funding across the federation as that currently received by the separate schools with the lump sum funding retained for each school. In an amalgamation of two schools (Option 3 above), one school’s lump sum would cease and whilst an amalgamated school across two sites may receive split site funding, this would be a reduced funding amount compared to the lump sum funding for the two schools. Under the BAWB proposal all funding for West Burton CE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School would cease.
Federated governing boards can request to amalgamate their individual school budgets; these arrangements could continue under the infant and junior school proposals.
Based on the proposal taking effect September 2026 and other things being equal, the federated governing board has determined the optimum funding position, based on best estimates of revenue funding for each financial year, for the individual schools within the federation. Irrespective of this school organisation proposal, the federation governing boards are continuously required to oversee financial management and this includes considering efficiency actions where improvements are identified as being necessary in the school financial forecast.
Pupil numbers
The Published Admission Number (PAN) is the number of school places that the admission authority must offer in each relevant age group of a school. The relevant age group is the age group at which pupils are normally admitted to the school for example, reception for a primary school or infant school and Year 3 for a junior school.
As at the May 2025 pupil census there were 44 pupils registered at Bainbridge Church of England Primary School, 14 pupils registered at West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School and 33 pupils registered at Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Primary School. These numbers do not reflect pupils being educated at the three schools, since they are grouped together by year group, irrespective of the school in which they are registered.
Based on the May 2025 pupils census and projected pupil numbers in 2025/6, including pupils from new open market housing, the forecast pupil numbers in the proposed re-organised Infant and Junior schools, excluding nursery pupils, are set out below (based on May 2025 school census and assumes all pupils currently enrolled at West Burton CE transfer to Askrigg or Bainbridge. Not including nursery pupils):
| Year | Bainbridge Infant 2026 to 2027 |
Askrigg Junior 2026 to 2027 |
Bainbridge Infant 2027 to 2028 |
Askrigg Junior 2027 to 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reception | 11 | Not applicable | 11 | Not applicable |
| Year 1 | 10 | Not applicable | 11 | Not applicable |
| Year 2 | 5 | Not applicable | 10 | Not applicable |
| Year 3 | Not applicable | 16 | Not applicable | 5 |
| Year 4 | Not applicable | 12 | Not applicable | 16 |
| Year 5 | Not applicable | 10 | Not applicable | 12 |
| Year 6 | Not applicable | 10 | Not applicable | 10 |
| Total | 26* | 48 | 32* | 43 |
| Potential nine further pupils from 35 houses with existing permissions and 35 local plan houses. |
Admission number
Currently, the Published Admission Number of Bainbridge Church of England Primary School is 12, the Published Admission Number of West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School is 12 and the Published Admission Number at Askrigg Voluntary Controlled Primary School is 12. Given the pupil forecast of 11 reception pupils across the federation, it is not proposed to combine these individual Published Admission Numbers to make a combined Published Admission Number of 36. Instead, it is proposed to increase the Published Admission Numbers at the retained Askrigg and Bainbridge sites to 15 allowing choice for parents and accommodating all children within the buildings, which have net capacities of 79 and 84 places respectively. The proposed Published Admission Numbers of 15 would accommodate combining three reception intakes and takes account of future pupil projections.
School place sufficiency
It is important to ensure sufficient school places in the local area. Both schools are in the sparsely populated Outer Wensleydale school place planning area. Should all of the proposals be implemented then there would continue to be a surplus of school places in the area.
Buildings
There is no building work planned to either Askrigg or Bainbridge schools as part of this proposal. There would be no necessity for landlord consent for a change of age range at Askrigg. The landlord, Yorebridge Educational Foundation, recently signed a lease agreement with ourselves from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2049. ‘The Authorised Use’ of the premises is educational use only, with no specific mention of age range.
The school building at West Burton would no longer be used by the federation if the proposed closure of the school was implemented. The West Burton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School site is managed but not owned by ourselves. The school site is wholly owned by a charitable trust and will revert to the trust if a decision is made for it to close.
Staff
A separate consultation process, including a staff meeting, is running in parallel with this consultation.
Who are we consulting?
Copies of this consultation document have been sent to all parents of pupils and to staff at the schools. It has also been distributed to neighbouring schools, councillors, parish councils, professional associations and the local MP.
Your views are important and your response to the consultation will be published on our website to inform the decision-making process.
Your personal details and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.
What happens next?
If the decision is taken to consult further, then statutory notices would be published in the local press. These notices, alongside the required statutory proposals, would provide four weeks for further representations to be made. A final decision would then be taken by our Executive and, if agreed, the proposal would be implemented from 1 September 2026.
Anticipated key dates
- consultation opens - Monday 22 September 2025
- public meeting - Wednesday 8 October 2025 at Askrigg Primary School, Yorebridge, Askrigg, DL8
3BJ at 6pm - consultation closes - Friday 7 November 2025
- our Executive considers consultation responses - Tuesday 16 December 2025
- statutory notices published (four weeks for representations to be made) - Monday 12 January to Friday 6 February 2026
- final decision by our Executive - Tuesday 17 March 2026
- proposed implementation date - Tuesday 1 September 2026
How to respond
Your views about this proposal are welcomed.
Complete the BAWB Schools Federation consultation survey
The closing date for responses is 5pm on Friday 7 November 2025.
All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by our Executive on Tuesday 16 December 2025.
Responses to the consultation will be published on our website. Your personal details and those of others you may refer to, will not be published.