South Ayrshire Council News

Members of South Ayrshire Council’s Leadership Panel have been focusing on the progress being made on the Fundamental Review of the School Estate and in particular on the future of Whitletts Primary School.

Following an extensive programme of community engagement exercises, by the Council’s Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning department during 2006/07, area proposals for the Fundamental Review of the School Estate were approved by Council in December 2007. Schools in Ayr, Carrick, Girvan, Prestwick and Troon areas were placed into 2 categories, category 1 schools were to be the subject of examination and community consultation and category 2 schools were included in a technical exercise and assess for modernisation.

As a result of the exercise the following has already been approved by the Leadership Panel members:

• Colmonell Primary School – detailed costing to be prepared for a new school and considered by the Leadership Panel later this year. As the school building reaches the end of its life in August 2008 arrangements are being made to decant pupils and staff to temporary hutted accommodation at the start of the next academic year.
• Pinwherry Primary School – a technical exercise is to be carried out establish the extent of the modernisation programme.
• Straiton Primary School – a technical exercise is being carried out and proposals for modernisation and refurbishment will be presented to the Leadership Panel for consideration.
• Ayr Grammar Primary School – further engagement is being carried out with a group of community representative to discuss the future provision of education relating to Ayr Grammar Primary. Education Officers are working in partnership with colleagues from Planning Services, Estates Services and Property and Design Services to explore the options that the group have discussed to date. The outcome of this exercise will be reported to the Leadership Panel for consideration.
• Marr College – key stakeholders, local Members, the Secretary of the Marr Trust, the Chair of the Troon Community Council and representatives of the School Management Team have come together to discuss the provision at Marr College. A review group has been established and in the new academic year engagement will take place with the Marr College Parent Council and Marr college employees as part of the consultation process to determine the future of the school.
• Special schools – a joint management arrangement in the Belmont campus is currently being implemented.

Councillor Hywel Davies, the Council’s Portfolio Carrier for Lifelong Learning said: “Good progress is being made with the Fundamental Review of the School Estate. It is important that any change to school accommodation is only made after extensive consultation with parents and communities.

“The Leadership Panel has approved a wider review of the school estate in the Ayr north and Wallacetown area. This will give the Council a chance to examine and address the specific educational needs of people in this area and to see what would be the most efficient and cost effective of doing so. Before any decisions are taken there will be more consultation with the schools and wider community.”

Whitletts Primary School – the school occupies three buildings, all built at different times, with the earliest dating back to 1909. At February 2008 the school roll was 72 with 91 other children living in the school catchment area but attending other schools.

The condition of the school is deteriorating and Property and Design Services are carrying out an assessment with early indications being that the dining hall/gym will need to be replaced within the next few years.

Workshops were held earlier this year for parents of the pupils and members of the local community where the condition of the school and the part it plays in the community were examined. There was also discussion on the level of nursery provision in the area and there being no secondary school operating in the area. The preferred options of those who attended the workshops were to:

• Build a new Whitletts Primary School.
• Improve the existing school.
• Join with Braehead Primary School in a new school in North Ayr.
• Transfer pupils to Braehead and Dalmilling Primary School

The next stage of the review will be to examine the provision at Ayr Academy, Sacred Heart Primary and Invergarven School. This will involve engagement with the school, parents and the wider community.