Primary schools in South Ayrshire with dwindling numbers of pupils could be at risk of being “mothballed” Ayrshire Live can exclusively reveal.
A plan has been drawn up by education bosses seeking permission to “consider” the future of a primary school whose numbers fall to 15 catchment area pupils, or less.
Details of the move, which could potentially end the futures of some primary schools in rural areas of the county, are detailed in a report by the South Ayrshire Council Depute Chief Executive and Director of Education, Lyndsay McRoberts.
And in another revelation, over the next three years, Educational Services will look to “review” the current school estate. This review, they state, is “with a view to improving the educational provision and realising efficiency savings.”
But Ayrshire Live can also reveal that this will include “consideration of school mergers, closures or mothballing.”
Ms McRoberts’ report is titled ‘Parameters for Considering Consultation on the Mothballing of Primary Schools’ and will go before the council Cabinet on Wednesday for approval.
In the report she seeks cabinet’s approval on “setting operational parameters” for educational services to progress consultation on the ‘mothballing’ of a primary school, when the number of catchment area pupils has fallen below an agreed level.
The report is also asking the council cabinet for permission to consider a school for mothballing, “subject to an assessment that confirms that the number of catchment area pupils is unlikely to increase above 15 within the next two years.”
Mothballing, according to the report, provides local authorities with “flexibility” and the opportunity to reopen the school, “should circumstances change.”
Currently, no primary school in South Ayrshire has a school roll of 15 or less, however, some are close to that threshold.
According to the local authority’s Actual School Rolls for 2023/24, Barr Primary School had 21 pupils, Barrhill PS had 20, Minishant had 22 and there were just 18 at Straiton PS.
The report goes on: “Although a statutory consultation is not required, as mothballing is deemed to be a temporary closure of a school, Educational Services propose that, following the annual pupil census (September), when a primary school roll falls into this category, and prior to the enrolment exercise for the next academic session taking place, the Depute Chief Executive and Director of Education will arrange to consult with affected parents, parent councils (if established) and other families who reside within the defined primary school catchment area, to discuss the position with them; discuss the position with those staff who work in the primary school being considered for mothballing; identify an alternative catchment school which will subsume the mothballed school’s catchment area on a temporary basis; and prepare a report for Cabinet on the outcome of the consultation exercise and to make recommendations.”
The report goes on: “Educational Services propose that, following consultation on the mothballing of a school, should any decision be taken to progress with mothballing, this would take place from the start of the next academic session.
“Support will be provided, however, to those parents who may wish to move their children to the alternative catchment school earlier than the start of the next school year, including with regards to assessing school transport entitlement.”
Any school that is mothballed – but whose “circumstances change “ – then that school “must” enrol a minimum of 16 pupils, through the annual registrations exercise, “before a re-opening would be considered.”
The report adds: “Should the recommendations of this report be approved, and should the outcome of any future pupil census result in a mothballing consultation taking place, the subsequent report to Cabinet on the outcome of that consultation will include full details of the efficiency savings that could be achieved, relating to staffing and property costs.”
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