School Closures - 'OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL TO HAVE THEIR SAY' - says Council

The following is an Argyll and Bute Council Press Release

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Argyll and Bute Council’s statutory consultation on proposals to amalgamate some primary schools started this week.

The consultation provides the opportunity for everyone to have their say – not just those with children of primary school age. The council hopes everyone in Argyll and Bute will come forward and give their views.

In addition to public meetings, feedback on the consultation can be given by phone, email or post.

Cleland Sneddon, executive director of community services, is confident the consultation will provide a useful platform for everyone across Argyll and Bute to get involved. He explains:

“We’ve already had some innovative suggestions from community groups who think they can find ways to reduce the costs associated with running our schools, without the need for closures. And that’s before the official consultation period actually starts. I’d urge anyone who has an opinion on this to get involved and let us know what they think.

“The consultation will help us identify alternative proposals and will highlight any inaccuracies in our current proposals. All of the information we receive will help councillors to make informed decisions when the consultation ends. That’s exactly what consultation is about.”

Argyll and Bute Council needs to reduce its overall budget of £277.6m. The education service currently accounts for 29% (£80m) of that sum.

The cut in grant funding for 2011/12 is £11.4m (4.94%), which effectively means that the council will have to cut its budget by about £15m after allowing for inflation etc.

This settlement figure, recently announced by the Scottish Government, is significantly worse (some £5.6m, almost double the Scottish average) than anticipated.

The education service needs to reduce its spend by £12 million over the next three years to meet its budget targets. If the education budget is protected, then bigger cuts will need to me made elsewhere.

Councillors agreed on 6 December to consult on proposals to amalgamate some primary schools, reducing the total number of primaries in Argyll and Bute by 25. If accepted, the proposals would generate almost £2 million in annual savings.

The eight week consultation period will officially end on 24 February, after which time councillors will use the information gathered to decide which, if any, of the proposals they will take forward.

Mr Sneddon continued:

“Children in Argyll and Bute already receive a very high standard of education and this will continue. However, we can’t avoid the need to reduce the amount we spend.

“In addition, a significant proportion of primary schools are less than half full and school rolls are continuing to decline, with the result that the available budget is spread too thinly.

“In some places we’re spending more than £30,000 per year to educate a child and in other places it’s just £3,000. It’s not equitable and not sustainable.”

He added that spreading the education service’s resources over too large an estate simply does not make sense.

“We believe our proposals will protect the education of children and in some cases bring additional benefits. But we’re keen to hear if the rest of the community agrees, which is why we’re taking this to consultation,” Mr Sneddon said.

“The only way in which we can make a balanced judgment on how best to proceed once this consultation period is over is if we gather a comprehensive picture of the views of individuals and communities across Argyll and Bute.

“We are committed to wholly transparent and robust consultation. I would encourage anyone who has a view on this subject – whether in general or regarding a particular school or proposal – to play their part to ensure this process is as rigorous as possible.”

A summary of the proposals, together with a full copy of the documents, is available at www.education.ea.argyll-bute.sch.uk/schoolconsultations

Anyone wishing to write to the council in response can either email schoolconsultations@argyll-bute.gov.uk or write to Education Service, School Consultations, Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll House, Alexandra Parade, Dunoon, PA23 8AJ.

The official consultation period runs from Monday, 13 December 2010 and ends on Thursday, February 24 2011.

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Locations and times have been set for the public consultation meetings to discuss the council’s school amalgamation plans.

A meeting will be held for each proposal in either January or early February. In most cases, in response to requests from parents and others, the meetings will take place in a school which would close under the proposals. Where this is not feasible due to capacity or the locations being inappropriate, the meetings are arranged in the receiving school or local halls.

All meetings will be held at 7pm. The locations and dates are:


Hermitage Primary/Luss – Luss Village Hall – Thursday, January 27
Parklands – Parklands School - Thursday, January 20
Garelochhead/Rosneath/Kilcreggan –Rosneath Primary – Monday, January 24
Innellan/Toward – Toward Primary – Monday, January 10
Sandbank/Strone – Highgate Hall, Strone – Wednesday, January 19
Rothesay/North Bute – Port Bannatyne Village Hall – Thursday, February 3
Tighnabruaich/Strachur/Kilmodan – Kilmodan Primary – Monday, February 7
Castlehill/St Keirans – Castlehill Primary – Monday, January 17
Drumlemble/Southend - Southend Primary - Monday, January 17
Clachan/Rhunahaorine/Skipness/Glenbarr – Glenbarr Primary - Tuesday, January 18
Kilmartin/Dalmally/Ardchonnel – Dalmally Primary - Wednesday, January 19
Port Charlotte/Keills – Keills Primary - Tuesday, January 25
Ardrishaig/Achahoish – Achahoish Primary - Tuesday, January 11
Tayvallich/Ashfield – Ashfield Primary - Wednesday, January 12
Lochgilphead/Minard/Glassary – Lochgilphead Joint Campus – Wednesday, February 2
Taynuilt/Kilchrenan - Kilchrenan Primary - Thursday, January 13
Salen/Lochdonhead – Lochdonhead Primary - Monday, January 31
Dervaig/Ulva – Ulva Primary - Tuesday, February 1
Lochnell/Barcaldine/Achaleven/Ardchattan – Victory Hall, Benderloch – Wednesday, January 26

The full approach to consultation can be found on the council’s website at https://www.education.ea.argyll-bute.sch.uk/schoolconsultations/documents/Annex_5-School_Estate_Consultation_Process_2010_CS.pdf. The timetable for consultation is as follows:

6 December 2010 Publish proposals and provide notice to all relevant

consultees

13 December 2010 Start statutory consultation period

24 February 2011 End of consultation period

10 March 2011 Forward to HMIE copies of the proposals, record of written

and oral submissions from consultation process and other relevant documents

7 April 2011 HMIE submit their report to the Council on all Proposals

28 April 2011 Council publishes the Consultation Report, covering

written and oral representations made during the consultation and matters raised in the HMIE report

19 May 2011 Authority can make formal decision to accept or reject

proposals. Six week period starts to allow representations to the ScottishGovernment (3 weeks) and for the Government to decide whether to call in the proposals or not (3 weeks).

30 June 2011 Period for representations to the Scottish Government and

possibility of call-in by the Scottish Government ends. Council can now implement any decisions taken with regard to the proposals.