Private school to shut

Newlands School in Pocklington will close on Friday, July 8, to children aged four to eleven. Plans have been made to revert it to its previous use as a nursery and childcare site for children aged four and under.

The school opened in 1992 as Pocklington Montessori Nursery, before converting into a school more than ten years ago. It is owned by Beacon House Educational Services, which blamed the move on falling numbers - around 97 in January - and financial constraints, despite fees of more than £6,300 per day pupil.

A spokesman for Beacon House said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff for all their hard work, care and commitment. It is a hard decision to close the school, not one to be taken lightly. It does affect people’s lives.

"However, there has been a falling roll for several years and we have decided to regroup and consolidate our nursery business with the intention of relaunching provision for school aged children in two years’ time. An early announcement was made to enable new schools to be found for pupils and staff."

An Ofsted inspection of the school earlier this year found it needed improvement in several areas, including teaching and management skills, planning, recording of students' progress and low standard of work by some pupils. However, pupils' personal commitment to learning and the headteacher's vision for the school were praised by the watchdog.

Despite the closure of the school, Pocklington Montessori Nursery and Mini Monty will remain open for business, with children from Pocklington, Driffield and Beverley welcome.

Janet Arber, headteacher, said: "Our focus remains with our wonderful children. There is a lot of learning to be made before July 8, and of course a variety of fun activities have been planned for our pupils, to support learning and mark the end of term."

The school's association with Hull's Hymers College will also end as a result of the closure.