SUN 6TH JUL 2025 2:58:49 PM BST
This site uses cookies, by continuing to use this site you accept the terms of our privacy policy
Home
Construction
Leisure
Manufacturing
Misc.
Primary
Professional
Public
Retail
Tourism
Transport
Site Map
Feed 2.0 Loading...
Council Will Consider Moratorium On Rural School Closures
2nd June 2011
Council to consider impact of proposed moratorium on rural primary school closures
The Highland Council is seeking a meeting with Scottish Cabinet Secretary, Mike Russell, to discuss his request that Scottish councils place a one-year moratorium on rural school closures.
The Highland Council is currently reviewing its entire school estate with a view to maximising the educational benefit of all Highland pupils.
In a first phase of the review, the Council is currently examining the Associated School Groupings for Wick High School and Thurso High School, which focuses on the 11 primary schools which feed into Wick High School and the 7 primary schools associated to Thurso High School.
A second phase of the review is now under way, looking at the Invergordon Academy and Alness Academy Associated School Groupings. This review is at an early stage and has involved engagement with head teachers, parent councils and local councillors.
Councillor Bill Fernie, chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee said, "We have tried to offer everyone the opportunity to participate in our pre-consultation exercise and been rigorous in our approach to the review but there may well be more that government can offer local authorities for the future well-being of our schools and rural communities and we are certainly willing to listen to any new proposals the minister can come forward with."
Council Leader Councillor Michael Foxley said: "I have asked for a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss his proposed moratorium for one year on rural school closures as well as a wide range of other education and Gaelic issues.
"We need to assess the impact of what he is proposing and take a report to the Council. We will feed our thoughts into the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
"Earlier this year, Michael Russell endorsed our merger proposals for the Greater Fort William area whereby we will merge five schools in existing sub-standard buildings into three new community schools."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
3/7/2025
Bringing more empty homes back into use
Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use. The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.2/7/2025
Community-Led Local Development Fund distributes over £900k to support projects in Highland
The Highland Strategic Local Action Group (LAG) met in June 2025 and considered and agreed funding for 28 projects submitted to the Community-Led Local Development fund (CLLD), which makes up part of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) programme. CRF is an umbrella term used to cover multiple external funding programmes administered by The Highland Council.2/7/2025
Community benefits funding delivers educational resources to Highland schools
Highland Council has provided 12 ‘Talking Tub' resources for use in primary schools across the Highlands, in partnership with Union Technical who deliver community benefits as part of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme programme. Chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: "This is a fantastic initiative being rolled out across Highland primary schools which brings innovation and inspiration to early years children.
1/7/2025
Additional bins will help keep popular visitor spots tidy
Visitors will find it easier to dispose of their litter at several popular spots across Highland after the rollout of additional bins. The rollout has been planned to support the tourism season as part of the Council's ongoing commitment to improve and support sustainable tourism in the area.27/6/2025
Accounts Commission commends Highland Council's culture of transformation
Members of the meeting of The Highland Council (26 June 2025) have considered and agreed the Accounts Commission's Best Value report, which was published in April 2025 and highlights organisational improvements across leadership, performance management and community engagement. In April’s report, the Accounts Commission recognised and welcomed significant progress within the organisation since the 2020 Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) and commended the embedded culture of transformation.27/6/2025
Thurso masterplan and community POD progress update
A new generation of community facilities is being planned for the Highlands. At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June), elected members approved the work to date in progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams - masterplan for Thurso and agreed to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community Point of Delivery (POD).27/6/2025
Highland Housing Challenge partnership makes positive strides
At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023. Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included: A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years.25/6/2025
Highland Council to deliver housing energy efficiency upgrades with ECO funding
The Highland Council will deliver a transformative programme of energy efficiency upgrades across Council housing supported by a £9.2 million Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding proposal secured by Union Technical. The funding proposal will deliver approximately 1,000 individual energy efficiency measures to Council owned properties across the Highlands.18/6/2025
Look to See - a Refugee Week exhibition by young people
As part of the Highland Council's celebration of Refugee Week - 16 to 22 June - we are delighted to announce that a sharing of photographs, taken by separated young people seeking asylum living within the Highlands, is to be shown at Eden Court Arts Centre, Inverness. Look to See, which ties in with the theme for this year’s Refugee Week - Community as a Superpower - emerges out of a collaboration between multiple agencies working alongside separated young people seeking asylum, embodying the importance of community and connection, when looking to support all young people in the Highlands.12/6/2025
Highland Youth Parliament Future Youth Voice Conference
The annual Highland Youth Parliament (HYP) conference will take place at Inverness Leisure and Canal Park, Inverness on Friday (13th June 2025). Highland young people are focusing on future youth voices and what they would like a future Highland to look like.Our Social Media
