Caithness Confirmed For School Estate Review

14th January 2011

The Highland Council's Education Culture and Sport Committee has agreed that the initial phase of the strategic review of the entire Council school estate will examine the Associated School Groupings for Wick High School and Thurso High School. A pilot review has already been carried out in the Lochaber area.

The review will focus on the 11 primary schools which feed into Wick High School and the 7 primary schools associated to Thurso High School.

Following a period of information gathering and discussion with local Head Teachers and local Elected Members, proposals for statutory consultations in relation to future educational provision at Wick High School ASG and Thurso High School ASG will be considered by the next Education Culture and Sport Committee. Thereafter a statutory consultation, lasting up to 6 months, will be conducted in accordance with the stringent requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

At the next Education Culture and Sport Committee meeting on 10 March, proposals are likely to be submitted for the next group of Associated School Groupings to be considered within the review.

Caledonian Economics Limited (CEL) has been appointed as the external partner to work alongside a dedicated in-house team to take forward the review. CEL worked in partnership with the Council on the recent successful review of future education provision in the Greater Fort William area.

The 11 primary schools which feed into Wick High School are:
Bower; Canisbay; Dunbeath; Hillhead; Keiss; Lybster; North Wick; Pulteneytown; South; Thrumster and Watten.

The 7 primary schools which feed into Thurso High School are:
Castletown; Crossroads; Halkirk; Miller Academy; Mount Pleasant; Pennyland and Reay.

Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of the Education Culture and Sport Committee, said: "The overall aim of this strategic review of the School Estate is to develop a school environment which will sustain and improve education provision, pupil performance and outcomes for young people in the Highlands.

"The Highland-wide review will be phased over a minimum of five years. We have just completed a pilot review in Greater Fort William and we will apply the same objective analytical approach in reviewing each of the associated school groups which feed into our network of secondary schools in the Highlands.

"The review takes account of the condition of schools, occupancy and location. We want to recommend changes that will ensure our pupils get the best possible education and the Council achieves the best value for the funds that are available to us."

"This is the start of a detailed process of consultation with head teachers, staff the public and other interested bodies. We have already tested the approach in the Lochaber review and this gives us confidence that we will reach all interested parties in the review"

The report from the ECS meeting on 13 January 2010 can be found at
http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0E6F49AB-DE01-4C6F-BF20-A6255F745EA4/0/Item7ECS0411.pdf

or go to
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/committees/strategiccommittees/educationcultureandsport/