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Closure Information

Introduction

Since joining the Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust (BKCAT) in March 2021, Holy Family school leaders and Trust Directors have worked tirelessly to improve the school’s education provision and financial position. Pupil numbers have been declining over the past 5 years and despite the best efforts of the school, trust and its current and previous governing bodies, there are now only 298 children on roll out of an expected 425.

Following considerable intervention and mitigation to improve the financial position of the school following its Academy conversion to the Trust, the Directors of Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust (BKCAT) in conjunction with the school’s Trust Intervention Board and the Diocese of Leeds have had to reluctantly consider the closure of The Holy Family Catholic High School on grounds of financial viability. We have spent 12 months discussing all possible solutions with the Diocese, DFE, ESFA and Local Authorities and we have consequently reached the difficult decision to close the school by 31st August 2025.

Holy Family School is, and will continue to be, a special place for the whole community for this school year. We will remain committed to delivering the highest standard of education and to supporting the pupils, families and staff to ensure that support is provided during this difficult period of transition.

This webpage will act as a central hub for information and correspondence relating to the closure. Please expand the tabs for further reading.

Key information

School uniform grant

In order to support families at Holy Family Carlton during the closure period, the Trust has agreed to make a contribution of up to £75 per pupil towards the cost of new uniform. This is not a DfE requirement, but it a gesture of goodwill by the Trust in recognition of the additional costs parents/carers will face.

It is not possible for the Trust to cover the actual cost of new uniform for each pupil. Pupils will be attending different receiving schools, all of which will have different uniform requirements and therefore different costs – the only fair approach is to offer the same contribution to all pupils.

CLAIMING A CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFORM COSTS

Parents/carers wishing to make a claim must do so on the BKCAT uniform claim form and all claims must be supported by receipts. This is because we require evidence of the expenditure for audit purposes. We will not be able to pay any claims where receipts are not provided.

Completing the form

Parents/carers should complete the form with the name of the person making the claim. Parents/carers may
submit more than one claim form for any pupil, but the total amount claimed per child across all claim forms
cannot exceed £75.

Details must be provided of the pupils for which the claim is being made, including dates of birth, so we can
confirm which children have received the contribution. Holy Family Carlton will maintain a record of all pupils
and the total uniform contribution claims made on their behalf.

On the reverse of the form, the person completing the form must list the items being claimed for and which
pupil they relate to. The form must give the price as shown on the receipt, and the parent/carer must tick
each item to confirm a receipt showing that item has been provided.
On the front of the form, the parent/carer must provide details of a bank account into which the contribution
can be paid. It is the responsibility of the person completing the form to ensure that these details are correct.
The school cannot make any payments in cash.
The person completing the form must sign to confirm that all receipts are attached and that the bank details
are correct. This form, with the supporting receipts, must then be returned to Holy Family Carlton for
processing.

Uniform claim form- word

Parents rights and school places

Parents  have a  right to apply at any time for any other school with vacancies. Their home LA is under a duty to offer them advice on their choices under S86 SSFA 98. This should involve telling them where vacancies exist.

Where the school closure guidance sets out that LAs will be required to run a preference exercise, the expectation is -

 

  • provide parents a list of schools with vacancies;
  • tell them in which year groups those vacancies exist;
  • either co-ordinate applications or tell them how to apply.

 

The above does mean that parents are within their rights to apply independently of the preference exercise timescales and LA’s have a duty to support them in doing so.

North Yorkshire and East Riding school places presentation
Listening period comments

DfE guidance on the process of school closure requires a “Listening Period” which is an opportunity for key stakeholders to provide their comments. The Listening Period will run from 23rd September 2024 to 18th October 2024.

To provide your comments please complete the Microsoft form below. Comments must be received by 4.00 pm on 18th October 2024.

Please note that individual responses will not be provided and feedback on comments submitted will be provided on the website once the listening period is concluded.

Listening period- Comment submission

SEND pupils

For parents/carers who have a child/children with an EHCP in place, or are currently going through assessments or application process it is planned that a designated SEND person will be released by the LA’s to conduct interim review meetings with parents to place students in a school suitable to their needs. The school SENDCo will receive additional interim support from the SENDCos across the Trust over the coming year.

Catholic provision and Lourdes

The Diocese offers support through the family Catechesis for Catholic families regarding sacramental preparations, Lourdes or access to supplementary Catholic education please contact evangelisation.admin@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Important website links and contacts

FAQs

Why has this happened?

The reasons for the decision to close The Holy Family Catholic High School relate to long-term issues with low pupil numbers resulting in financial difficulties.

The factors which have been considered are:

  • A drop in pupil numbers within the local demographic and at the school
  • Future financial viability of the school
  • Ability to continue to provide pupils with a standard of education they deserve.

The school is based in a rural area where fewer families with young people are choosing to live. Nearby schools with reliable and frequent transport options are more appealing to prospective families.

The school has worked hard to maintain and improve standards, but the national and local contexts indicate that there is little prospect of pupil numbers increasing to alter the situation.  Changes to school transport funding underlie the trends in pupil numbers, which have been exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.

 

What will happen next?

The school will continue to work with relevant local authorities, schools, and Trusts to ensure that support is provided and the best possible outcomes are achieved for all members of Holy Family’s school community by the proposed closure date of 31st August 2025 with an aim for all  pupils to have a school place secured for September 2025.

Face to face parent/carer meetings will be held. Please see the letter for more information on times and dates. The meetings will cover next steps for parents/carers. Further events and communications will take place throughout the year to ensure that pupil transition is as smooth as possible.

 

 

What is the purpose of a “listening period”

The listening period, as required by the DfE closure procedure, had been designed to enable the school, Trust, Diocese of Leeds and LAs to share information and gather comments and views on the closure of the school. The decision to close the school has been made and the rationale for the closure has been set out in letters and on the school website.

What is the point in a listening period if nothing can be done to stop the closure?

The closure of the school has been made in principle by the secretary of state. The listening period, which is a requirement for the DfE, is to enable families to gain an understanding of how the transition and timescales to alternative schools would be taking place, after the listening period the final decision for closure will be made by the Secretary of State.

 

What will happen next?

As per the DfE school closure procedure the Trust was not permitted to consult parents.

What are the current pupil numbers?

There are currently 298 pupils on roll out of an expected 425.

Why are pupil numbers important to the financial viability of a school?

Schools are funded, in the main, based on the number of pupils on roll.  The fewer pupils they have on roll the less funding they get from the Government. Most of the school’s overheads are the same, regardless of the number of pupils that they have. When schools have fewer pupils and receive less funding this eventually creates a deficit, which means that schools spend more than they bring in.

The Trust is listed on Companies House, is the closure of HFC planned to make the Trust profit?

From a legal perspective the Trust is an exempt charity and is a not-for-profit organisation. If at the end of any year the Trust has received more income than expenditure, these funds are used in future years to educate the pupils in our Trust.

When the Trust was established, the members (The Diocese of Leeds) entered into a funding agreement with the Secretary of State. These contractual terms govern key aspects of the operation of the Academy, which is laid out within charity, education and company law, and includes the fact that the Trust must be registered at Companies House. This does not mean that the Trust is a profit-making organisation.

The Trust’s 2023 annual accounts seem to suggest that the Trust has £8m of reserves. Why can these not be used to support Holy Family?

On 31 August 2023 the Trust had fund balances of £8m. This effectively means that, taking into account all assets and liabilities of the Trust, the organisation was worth £8m on that specific date.

However, this figure is different from our ‘free reserves’ – the money we actually have available to spend. Of the £8m fund balances, nearly £2m is categorised as our ‘fixed assets’ fund – this includes items such as furniture, equipment and ICT which we have to value for the financial statements but which in reality are not available to spend unless everything was sold – at which point we would be unable to operate.

The figure also includes liabilities of £3m, which – because of timing – is money the Trust owed to other businesses and organisations but hadn’t paid to them on 31 August 2023. These funds are therefore spoken for and not available for us to spend. Set against this is money that other businesses and organisations owed the Trust on 31 August, which total around £1m, which we hadn’t received by that point but were expecting to receive in future.

Taking these figures, the approximate free reserves of the Trust on 31 August 2023 were £8m - £2m - £3m + £1m = £4m. This is roughly the amount we had available to spend, although in reality some of was already earmarked for specific things.

This may sound like a significant sum, but it is only around 10% of our annual income and is consistent with government guidance on appropriate levels of reserves Trusts should hold to respond to the unexpected or to invest in replacement/upkeep of our facilities and equipment.

We have been using our free reserves up to this point to make up the shortfall at Holy Family while we explored the various options for making Holy Family financially viable. We have looked in detail at ways to reduce costs and to increase income, and have managed to do so to some extent, but the number of pupils in the school now mean we are not receiving enough money to fund the quality of education we want your children to receive. Although the Trust could use our reserves to continue to support Holy Family’s ongoing shortfall until the money ran out, this isn’t a sustainable solution.

This £8m fund balance was also the position on 31 August 2023, over 12 months ago. During 2023/24, costs have generally risen faster than funding. Our annual accounts for 31 August 2024 will be published in January 2025 and we expect our financial position to have deteriorated compared with 2022/23.

How did the Trust decide the total of £75 as a reasonable amount for uniform cost support?

It was decided that the best solution is to contribute to the cost of the HFC uniform which is already purchased by providing a grant towards the purchase of new uniform. This is because pupils will be moving to different schools with varying uniform requirements.

The grant is to contribute towards branded uniform items, since unbranded items such as skirt/trousers could be reused at their new school or can be purchased relatively cheaply from supermarkets etc.

The figure of £75 has been arrived at based on the minimum amount of branded uniform a parent/carer would be required to buy for their child to attend Holy Family Carlton.  Based on the current cost of uniform via the schoolwear supplier this has been costed as:

Blazer £34
Tie £6
Polo shirt £15
Unisex shorts £11
TOTAL COST £66

 

 

 

 

 

This has been rounded up to £75 to allow a small contribution to other items. The Trust is not contributing to non-branded items as these may be possible to reuse at the pupil’s new school or can be purchased relatively cheaply from supermarkets.

 

Would it be possible for parents to raise funds to save the school?

Based on current data, the school is spending £300k a year more than it receives, with this figure expected to increase over the next few years as costs rise faster than income. It would not be viable for parents to have to raise this amount annually, which is what would be required to meet the shortfall.

Why is the uniform grant capped at £75?

It is not possible for the Trust to cover the actual cost of new uniform for each pupil.

Pupils will be attending different receiving schools, all of which will have different uniform requirements and therefore different costs – the only fair approach is to offer the same contribution to all pupils. The Trust must also balance the cost of making this contribution with the impact elsewhere in the organisation – because Holy Family Carlton is in an overall deficit position (the equivalent of being in its overdraft), the funds for this contribution will be coming from money which would otherwise be used for the education of pupils elsewhere in the Trust.

If all eligible pupils take up the full amount of contribution, this will cost nearly £18,000 – which is about the same as the cost of employing a teaching assistant for a year.

If parents are separated and in different households will a uniform grant be provided for two sets of uniform?

To ensure that all pupils are treated fairly, one grant per pupil will be provided.

My child has just started year 10 and their GCSE subject options- What should I do?

East Riding and North Yorkshire LAs have been provided with pupil data and are aware of the situation and are preparing for the re-location of pupils.  Admission arrangements will be co-ordinated by the relevant local authority.

The relevant local authority Admission Team will continue to work with families to try and meet their individual preferences.

 

 

 

Will special measures be put in place to help the Y11 pupils navigate through GCSEs?

Exam boards could be made aware of special circumstances if any of the children had experienced any significant amount of trauma on the back of the closure of the school. This would usually be done on a case by case basis, but this measure could be considered for the whole cohort if necessary.

What if my child is in year 11? Does this affect their application to colleges?

Parental meetings relevant to the year groups are planned and will be detailed within correspondence to parents for any further information

Year 11 pupils will be able to remain at the school until it closes fully in August 2025.  They will be given maximum support to achieve the best possible outcomes in their GCSE examinations.

Pupils in Year 11 who wish to continue their education in a Sixth Form or college will need to apply for a place as normal.

My child has a place in the TMP – what should I do?

Notice on the TMP was given on 15 May 2024 to North Yorkshire Local Authority.  The LA will identify suitable provision for pupils who attend the resource. The school and Trust will work with the Local Authority to support transition of pupils to other provisions.

Is the building and land going to be sold for housing developments?

The Trust does not own the Holy Family school building or land; therefore, the Trust does not have any authority over its future use after closure.

What actions have been taken to improve the curriculum considering the school’s Ofsted judgments?

Notable improvements include school leadership re-modelling and changes to the curriculum which has resulted in rising standards and attainment.

Where can I find the minutes of the Trust Intervention Board?

Please email governance@bkcat.co.uk for a copy of the public Trust Intervention Board minutes.

Why did the school continue to accept new pupils if they knew the intention was to close?

Schools are legally required to admit pupils until the listening period of a closure plan has commenced.

What can I do if my child is in year 11 and I want to change schools now, rather than seeing the year out?

The parents of year 11 pupils are advised to remain at school for the coming year, however if year 11 parents wish to move their child now then they should apply for an alternative school asap- Please contact your relevant Local Authority for more information.

Can parents appeal if their children do not get their first choice for an alternative school?

All admissions are subject to the right to appeal.

I know pupils who have been turned away from the school, how can you claim to have low admission numbers if you turn away pupils?

We cannot discuss individual cases; however, children may not be offered a place due to the requirement to balance the needs of all children in the school, of which a high proportion of which have additional needs.

What plans are in place to ensure staff retention over the coming year?

HFC is lucky to have a committed staff body. Although HFC cannot guarantee that staff will stay through this year the notice periods within teaching contracts ensure that staff leave at the end of a term. This will provide time to find suitable replacements if required. Additionally, the HR department are committed to working with staff to help them to find other work opportunities within the Trust, across the Diocese and within the wider community. The Trust will do all it can to support HFC pupils with specialist staff for the remainder of the year.

If few pupils remain at the school, will it close early?

No, the school will remain open until 31st August 2025.

If transport is one of the main factors for low pupil numbers, why doesn’t the Trust or Diocese provide transport which the parents can pay for?

The lack of funding for Faith schools is a national issue since transport funding for Faith Schools was removed.

 

The Trust has previous experience of arranging paid-for transport on behalf of parents and the costs are prohibitive, often substantially exceeding the cost of other available services as we do not have the economies of scale. This means not enough pupils use the service to cover the costs.

 

Transport options provided by third parties were available for parents, but the operator increased charges substantially due to rising costs, and we believe that this has had an impact on pupil numbers.

 

The Trust is not in a position to subsidise the cost of providing transport as it would take money away from our ability to provide education, which is our primary purpose.

I have little confidence in North Yorkshire’s transport options, what are the options?

Funded transport to the nearest suitable school with an available place would be allocated to pupils accordingly.

Is year 11 prom going ahead?

Yes.

Will GCSE results be picked up from school as normal?

Yes.

Will the year 11 awards ceremony go ahead?

Yes, an alternative venue will be organised.

How do I make a complaint against the Trust Board Directors ?

Please follow the Trust Complaints Policy which is available on the BKCAT website.