PARENTS of children at a Dales primary school have officially given notice requesting the school’s release from a federation to become independent once more.

West Burton Primary School is currently in a federation with Bainbridge and Askrigg primary schools but amid fears over its future parents are pushing for the school to go it alone.

The notice was handed over to David Madley, one of the governors on the Bainbridge, Askrigg and West Burton Federation Board.

The notice was accompanied by a list of reasons why the proposed new educational arrangements if West Burton remained in the BAWB Federation, starting in September, would most likely result in the closure of the school.

The current model sees the youngest pupils at the school bussed to Bainbridge, leaving just key stage two pupils on site, which many feel is disruptive, as well as risk implications of additional bus travel twice a day throughout the year.

There are also fears there would be severe reduction in the number of children on roll at West Burton, due to parents removing children, or registering new starters elsewhere, from the BAWB Federation from September as a result of the amount of travel, the isolation of key stage two children, and the splitting of siblings between two sites.

More than 80 local people have signed up to endorse the motion to leave, following a public meeting in which parents of its 22 schoolchildren voted unanimously to support de-federation as the only way to provide a secure future for the school.

Dr Graham Bottley is leading the shadow board as one of its two parent governors. He said: “As a parent I feel strongly that West Burton Primary School needs once again to become independent. I have two children at the school and another due to start in two years, and I feel it is unlikely it will still be open for my youngest if it remains part of the BAWB federation.

“Recently it has become very stressful as a parent with the constant uncertainty caused by children being bussed around the dale, by class reorganisations, by threats of closure.”

Upper Dales County Councillor John Blackie said: “It seems the new educational arrangements proposed by the BAWB Federation could threaten an almost immediate closure of West Burton School, and I have no doubt there is an overwhelming desire amongst the parents to see it return to being a stand-alone school in future.

“We are not fighting to save a failing institution, far from it. West Burton School provides a first-rate educational experience for its pupils."