Parents want a New School

Fiona McLeod reported in “The Guardian” that a group of parents from Crossroads School in East Ayrshire, closed last year and regarded by the Council as “beyond repair,” wanted to set up a community school on the site. The buildings were why even the Scottish Government supported the closure. Parents had argued it was a vital focal point for the community and refurbishment was possible.

Now six parents are hoping councillors will agree to lease land. They have a head teacher in mind and believe they are the first parents in Scotland to undertake such a bid. Parent Isla Brown said: "We're close to a deal on prefabricated buildings and we are trying to get the council to let us lease the land. They've told us they might put it up for sale, but if not they might lease it to us." The group believes it can access a government grant offered to rural schools. They are confident they can maintain the school and pay for resources but staff costs are a worry.

Ms Brown, who has four sons, said: "At the moment we have a financial hole where the teachers' salary would be. We want to develop a model with a number of funding streams so we wouldn't be dependent on one particular source. When the council closed the school they lost a grant of £2,500 per head for maintaining rural schools. For our 52 pupil school that was £137,000." The Director said: "The council believes any individual has the right to establish a school so long as relevant regulations are met."

(NASS: A final decision was expected in February on how the land would be used. We await news. We are also advising a Carmarthenshire village arguing for schools as community provision and an anti-closure strategy!)

Fiona McLeod also reported the case of the 11-pupil school which was one of the four proposed for closure by Shetlands Council despite its excellent inspection report.

When two dolphins beached themselves near the small Shetland village of Uyeasound, on Unst, the local primary school decamped to the shore for an impromptu lesson in environmental studies. Last week, a particularly clear moon saw classes reconvened long after the school bell had rung, so pupils could use a telescope that had been lent to them. It is learning like this that has helped Uyeasound secure what officials say is the best report of any primary school in Scotland, and is driving parents to fight its proposed closure by Shetland Islands council. In past years roll has ranged between six and twenty.

"It teaches them everything they need for life," says local parent and former pupil, Derek Jamieson. "It is an all-encompassing education they are getting here. We are in a very small place and you could say it is isolated, but the school and staff really open up the children's horizons."

The issue of rural schools is an acutely sensitive one in Scotland, not least with a Holyrood election looming. Legislation has established a presumption against the closure of such schools which make up more than 40% of Scottish primary schools and 20% of secondary schools. Rural school closures can only occur if better education is assured.

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