Commenting on Lack of Spare Places in Dundee Primary Schools to Cope with A Rising Number of Children

The figures obtained from the City Council support the warnings I have issued in recent years. I have made it clear to the Council that it is continuing to reduce capacity in our primary schools through school mergers and school closures while the number of school pupils in Dundee is continuing to rise. This is a recipe for disappointment for parents and carers when they can't get their child a place in school. 

Bearing in mind that our Primary schools and Nursery schools will need extra places to cope with a doubling of nursery hours by 2020, the Council can't be complacent about this. New school buildings or conversions take a long time, 4-5 years, to put in place. 

When the next School Estate Review is published in the Autumn, we will be able to see whether Councillor Hunter is continuing to ignore warnings that he is gambling with the future of our school children by failing to change direction. I don't want Dundee to be known as Dundee City of Portable Classrooms.

Commenting on Growing Population Pressures on School Places in Dundee

Click on graph to enlarge

The latest projection for population growth in Dundee over the next 25 years is good news for the economy of the city. It does however have a potential downside beacuse it will significantly increase pressure on school places. These government figures for Dundee published by the Council show a projected 20% + increase in the 0-15 population of the city by 2037.

The last report to the Education Committee about the demand for places and the capacity of  individual schools, has already identified that there are primary and secondary schools where demand either exceeds or is close to the places available in these schools. Craigowl Primary School in the Startmartine area is bursting at the seams and Barnhill, Eastern and Forthill Primary Schools and Grove Acdemy in The Ferry along with Morgan Academy in the Maryfield area are all working close to capacity.

In the light of new information about more sustained growth in the population of school and nursery age children, it's important that the Education Committee receive an update about how the City will respond to this long term challenge. We must avoid overcrowded schools or children not able to access their local primary and secondary schools.

Link to Population Projections for Dundee

Barnhill Primary School Oversubscribed

Feedback from parents in the catchment area of Barnhill Primary School confirms that the Primary One intake beginning in August is already significantly oversubscribed.

This means that more parents who have a rising five child who live in the catchment area of the school have put their child's name down for entry to the school in Primary One than were accommodated last year when the Primary One classes were full. Unless more places are found in the school, some of the children who live in the Barnhill PS catchment area could be denied a place.

In addition children who are priority two might not get a look in at all. Priority two children are those who live outside the school's catchment area but already have an older brother or sister who attends the school.

This is a very serious issue, which may well require an adjustment to the Council's budget for next year if parents and their children are not to be denied a place at their local primary school. I don't think parents and children should suffer from the results of inadequate planning by the Education Department.

When I raised this issue last year in relation to the capacity of public services in Broughty Ferry to accommodate more housing developments, this was dismissed and it was claimed by the Education Convener that there was plenty of capacity in Broughty Ferry Schools. Well now, where is that spare capacity for parents living in the Barnhill Primary School catchment area?