Peebles Catchment Review Launched
Friday, May 16 2008
Monday 19 May sees the start of a 15 week consultation on proposals to change the catchment boundary between Priorsford and Kingsland primary schools in Peebles.
The intention behind the proposals is to create a better balance in the size of the respective school rolls.
Speaking about the proposals, Councillor Catriona Bhatia, Executive Member for Education at Scottish Borders Council, said: “Priorsford will continue to be the larger school but, with the construction of a first class new school at Neidpath Grazings getting nearer, the time is right to address the long term provision of pupil places in the town.
“Our ambition, first announced in 2005, is to create extra pupil places for the town by establishing a triangular distribution of schools. To the north of the town, we will have Halyrude in the refurbished Kingsland building in Rosetta Road, with capacity to accept more pupils. To the west we will have the new Kingsland at Neidpath Grazings and to the south east we will have Priorsford, with its excellent new extension.”
The proposals published on Monday (19th) give two options for the new boundary and parents are also invited to suggest any alternatives they think offer a better solution. The Council is going beyond the statutory requirements and is inviting views of all parents in the town – and has extended the consultation period from 28 days to 15 weeks.
Details of the consultation will be sent via schools and nurseries to all families and copies will also be sent to all the private and voluntary nurseries and playgroups in the town. NHS Borders has also agreed that its health visitors will have a stock of leaflets to ensure that families with very young children are also made aware of the proposals. Copies of the consultation document will also be available from Peebles library, the Council offices in Rosetta Road and to download from the SBC website at www.scotborders.gov.uk
The library, schools and council offices will also have a very large scale map of the area – showing the proposed options for change.
The proposals, if agreed, would only affect pupils starting at Priorsford from August 2009 – no children currently at Priorsford would have to change schools – and pre school children with siblings currently at Priorsford (even if their home catchment changes) can also choose to attend Priorsford. In that way parents will not have to face taking one child to Kingsland and another to Priorsford.
“I am chairing a meeting for parents/carers and the two parent councils at Priorsford on Monday 9 June to discuss the proposal and would urge every parent to read the documents and respond, either directly or through their parent councils. The deadline for responses is Friday 29 August,” concluded Councillor Bhatia.
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