Councillor Ken Smith warns of price of keeping Castle Hall open

Jan 23 2010 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

KEEPING a high school open will come at a high price, a councillor has warned.

Last week the Government overturned Kirklees Council’s decision to shut Castle Hall School in Mirfield.

But the council’s schools chief warned yesterday that every high school in north Kirklees would have to pay the price.

Clr Ken Smith said that keeping Castle Hall open would cost £660,000 a year – the equivalent of employing two teachers at each of the 12 other high schools in north Kirklees.

He said: “Having an extra school in the system will mean every school will receive less money. We expect that keeping Castle Hall open will cost £660,000 per year, every year. That includes paying the head teacher and deputy head and maintaining the premises.”

Kirklees first announced plans to close Castle Hall in 2008 as part of a £200m revamp of high schools in Mirfield, Dewsbury, Batley and the Spen Valley. The proposal included expanding neighbouring Mirfield Free Grammar.

However, parents, teachers and pupils from both schools campaigned against the plan, eventually taking their case to the Government.

On January 12, the Office of the Schools Adjudicator overturned the closure decision.

Clr Smith said the ruling meant the two Mirfield high schools would have to co-operate more closely. He said: “I will look to Castle Hall and Mirfield Free Grammar to move together in a formal way.”

The council Cabinet member for schools said the Government’s decision left north Kirklees with too many pupil places.

Clr Smith said: “We will have an extra 500 places so we will have to reduce the admission areas of other schools.”