This victory means we now have a great future ahead of us at Abernyte
Community joy at school decision
The chair of the parent council at Abernyte Primary has said he wants to look to the future after a School Closure Review Panel told Perth and Kinross Council it could not close the school.
Gerard McGoldrick offered an olive branch to the local authority after a “hard journey” and called for unity moving forward.
He was speaking as the decision to keep the school open was made public this week.
The PA revealed on Wednesday that the panel had concluded PKC failed to comply with aspects of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 designed to protect rural schools.
Considering three grounds for calling in the decision, the panel, chaired by Lesley Ward, said the council failed to “take proper account of a material consideration relevant to the decision”.
The council has confirmed it will accept the decision.
Speaking to the PA, Gerard said: “It’s been a hard journey for everyone. We need to put this into the past and work together to give the school the best future possible.”
An emotional Gerard, who has a child about to go in to primary two at Abernyte and another who has now gone on to secondary, said he was “overjoyed” at the decision.
He added: “The Abernyte Parent Council and community are over the moon about this wonderful and correct decision to keep our amazing school open.
“We have got such a wonderful school in such an idyllic location and it has now got an amazing future ahead of it.
“This decision is really important. It will help all rural schools across our nation and provide clarity for future decisions which are made at local authority level.
“We have such a wonderful head teacher and I am so happy for her and all her staff.”
Gerard offered his thanks to councillors Alasdair Bailey and Beth Pover, Sandy Longmuir (chair of the Scottish Rural Schools Network), Aberntye Community Interest Company, Inchture Area Community Council and his wife, Esther Strickland, for their support.
He concluded: “Through this process, we have lost so many children who have wanted to go to the school.
No-one wants to go to a school with the spectre of closure hanging over it.
“But it’s now got such a great future, not just for Abernyte but for the whole of the Carse of Gowrie.”
The news follows a lengthy battle to save the school by parents after a review of the school estate was announced in 2015.
A majority of councillors on the lifelong learning committee initially backed the closure in May last year, but that decision was called in by Scottish ministers just a month later.
PKC took the Scottish Government to the Court of Session but after a judicial review in February, PKC’s case was rejected by Lady Wise.
The school had originally been earmarked for closure this year, but this was put back to 2021.
In its decision, the panel said the council contradicted itself in terms of potential savings and made no attempt to boost the school roll for five years. It also pointed out the authority put the church forward as an alternative community facility despite it not even having a kitchen.
Perth and Kinross Council confirmed yesterday it would accept the decision.
A spokesperson said: “We note the decision of the School Closure Review Panel in respect to Abernyte Primary School.
“We acknowledge the comments made by the panel and will give these full consideration.
“It is important that we provide clarity for the community at this stage in relation to what will happen next; and we can confirm that we will not be appealing the decision of the panel.”
It is understood council leader Murray Lyle has called on the chief executive to review the process.
Opposition politicians who had opposed the closure lined up this week to criticise councillors who had backed the plan, especially Carse of Gowrie Tory councillor Angus Forbes and lifelong learning committee convenor Cllr Caroline Shiers.
Both Pete Wishart MP and John Swinney MSP said they welcomed the decision, but Mr Wishart described the process as “a complete fiasco”.
He added: “There are
This decision is really important. It will help all rural schools across our nation