ANOTHER North Yorkshire primary school has opted out of local authority control and become an academy.

Carlton-in-Snaith Primary School has agreed to convert to an academy and now becomes an official part of Selby Educational Trust (SET), working alongside Selby College who act as a trust sponsor.

Carlton are the second school to join the trust alongside Selby Primary School which joined up back in 2017 when the trust was formed.

SET came in to being to support schools in Selby and outlying areas to increase the learning potential of each child by helping them succeed in each of their subjects, building their levels of motivation and confidence and raising their aspirations to progress to higher levels of study.

Carlton Primary joins SET as of January 1 this year.

Jon Watson, head at Carlton-in-Snaith Primary Community School, said a period of consultation had taken place, which led to the decision for the school to become an academy.

He said: "I think I speak on behalf of everyone at Carlton-in-Snaith Primary School when I say we already feel incredibly supported by the team at Selby Educational Trust. We are very extremely excited and honoured to be officially joining the Trust and very much look forward to the future and the opportunities we will be able to offer our children and staff.”

Chair of Governors, Helen Snowden, said: "We are proud to become part of Selby Educational Trust. Our decision is the result of significant strategic planning and engagement, and we are energised by the opportunities to collaborate to further improve the educational outcomes for our community. We have asked our community whether they would like to change the name of the school. The overwhelming majority agree to be called Carlton Primary School after our conversion."

Ian Clennan, Chief Executive of Selby Educational Trust, said: "Particular thanks should go to the Governing Board who saw this as the next logical step in the growth and improvement of the school. The newly named Carlton Primary School will strengthen the expertise we already have to provide an inspirational and outstanding learning experience for all young people in Selby and the surrounding area. I am excited about what we can achieve together.

"Putting the children first is fundamental to our vision: That every child in Selby and the surrounding area deserves a high-quality education, delivered locally that allows them to maximise their achievements, shapes their lives and by so doing helps transform the community we serve.”

Selby College principal and CEO Phil Sayles said the move marks another huge landmark in the development of the trust and its mission of ensuring all learners in Selby and the surrounding areas receive a high-quality education. This will ensure there are greater opportunities for educational staff to work together and to build links between communities to become better practitioners.

Mr Sayles said: “This is a really exciting time for SET, as with our support, it works to deliver on its vision of providing an inspirational and outstanding learning experience for pupils across Selby and surrounding areas.

"As sponsor of the Selby Educational Trust, we’re thrilled to hear the good news that Carlton Primary School has joined the Trust.”

SET is a Multi-Academy Trust that receives state funding.

Each partner joining SET will seek to be transformational and strive for outstanding all-round achievement and success. Staff will share their expertise, high-performing educational values, knowledge and skills and inspire a culture of collaboration.

To find out more about SET, please visit: https://selbyeducationaltrust.uk.

Last year The Press reported that results from a survey showed that Selby College ranked amongst the top five higher education institutions in Yorkshire for overall student satisfaction.

The college achieved a score of 86 per cent, above the national average of 82 per cent in the National Student Survey.

Selby College also achieved 90 per cent satisfaction in regards to teaching of its Higher Education courses.

On that occasion, Mr Sayles, said: “We are continuously expanding and improving our Higher Education, providing our students across the region with a route to progress to upskill themselves to reach their dream careers.”

The survey gathered opinions from students about their time in higher education, which provides honest feedback on what it has been like to study on their course and at their university or college.