Sad week for staff at ex-Grove Academy in Harrogate

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Eight members of staff who have taken voluntary redundancies are leaving Springwell Harrogate on Grove Road, previously known as The Grove Academy, which caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

After being run by Delta Academies and North Yorkshire County Council, the school joined the Wellspring Academy Trust in March of this year.

Since then, the new management has grappled with “significant funding challenges”, saying its number one priority has been to ensure the school’s long term future and viability.

It says Springwell is now on a “firm financial footing” after the “regrettable but unavoidable” restructuring of staff.

A trust spokesperson says the upheaval means it can look forward to “offering a superb standard of education to Springwell Harrogate pupils for many years to come”.

The move comes after county council bosses facing spiralling high needs education costs last year introduced a new model for alternative provision and specialist schools in North Yorkshire.

It saw funding shifted from its pupil referral service to new school partnerships with mainstream schools.

At the time, union officials representing Grove Academy staff said that the “severity of the council’s cuts” meant that staff and resources could not be maintained and redundancies were expected.

But it's been an emotional week for Dave Hamilton, a member of staff who has worked at the Grove Academy for over 16 years.

Mr Hamilton, who in 2012 was made redundant from his role at Bilton Youth club and now faces redundancy from the former Grove, said: “As a former youth club leader at Bilton Youth Club and special needs teacher at the Grove Academy/Springwell Harrogate, I have now the sad distinction of becoming redundant from two key services.

"These outstanding facilities provided many opportunities for young people and I can recall that many of them turned their lives around by attending.

"It is a tragedy that both have been hit by short-sighted budget cuts.”

But Mr Hamilton, who received an MBE in 2008 for his dedication to improving the lives of local young people, said he wished Springwell Harrogate well for the future.

He said: “I am delighted that the Grove will remain open and I wish it all the success it deserves. I just hope the provision will retain its outstanding contribution within the community. I hope I don’t live to see another service for transforming young people’s lives undermined.”

Have you had any experience of attending the Grove Academy/Springwell?

What are your hopes for it’s future? Write to: [email protected]

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