Rural primary school to close over lack of pupils

A rural primary school will permanently close at the end of August due to low pupil numbers.

The decision to shut St Hilda’s Church of England Primary School in Station Road, Ampleforth, was made at North Yorkshire Council’s executive meeting on Tuesday.

The school currently has 13 pupils – and has had no more than 36 children enrolled over the last 15 years.

The closure came after a campaign by parents to save the school.

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson said it was “heartbreaking and disappointing" but added that St Hilda's faced "challenging" situations.

She added: “Sadly, low pupil numbers can make it challenging for a school to operate within its budget and maintain high-quality teaching and provision of learning."

Children living in the catchment area will instead attend either Husthwaite Church of England Primary School, Helmsley Community Primary School or Terrington Church of England Primary School.

St Hilda's opened in 1890 and moved to its current site in the 1960s.

The primary school in the nearby village of Hovingham also closed in recent years.

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