School catchment area review mooted
A review of school catchment areas across Perth and Kinross could be on the cards going by comments made by a councillor responding to criticism of a catchment area drawn up for Perth’s newest secondary school.
Strathtay representative Ian James told members of Luncarty, Redgorton and Moneydie Community Council (LRMCC) last week he had asked the convenor of the local authority’s lifelong learning committee to consider ordering a review of catchment areas after noting a number of anomalies in his ward.
Cllr James made the remarks after one meeting attendee criticised the council’s decision to exclude certain settlements in the Strathtay ward from the catchment area of Bertha Park High School.
Local man John Bowman said he felt it was “ludicrous” children living in his area had been left out of the catchment area and had to be bussed into Perth to attend a secondary school when there was a brand new one much closer to home.
“It’s just a ludicrous situation that we are sending our children on a bus all the way down the A9 into Perth,” he said.
“I made a representation during the consultation and, quite frankly, I think the people of Luncarty and our area were ignored.”
Councillor James said he agreed the arrangement seemed strange and went on: “It’s not just Bertha Park. We’ve got people whose kids live less than a hundred yards from a school [at] Ruthvenfield and they have to go past [that] school to go to the school they come under the catchment area for.
“I’ve asked the convener of lifelong learning to review the boundaries at the earliest opportunity.”
Mr Bowman raised his complaint after Cllr Grant Laing asked community council chairman George Black if the group would consider offering homeowners at the new Bertha Park development some representation.
Cllr Laing revealed a few residents had complained to him about their roads not being gritted but because the roads have yet to be adopted by Perth and Kinross Council, he had to ask developers Springfield Properties to treat the roads instead.
“It was all sorted out [but] I think it would be really good for the community council to have a representative from Bertha Park,” he said.
Mr Black said he would be happy to discuss the possibility of accepting a new member to represent people living at Bertha Park but admitted the argument over the school catchment area remained “the elephant in the room” when considering this option.
“Until the school becomes a part of this community, there is always going to be that divide,” he said.
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said the catchment area for Bertha Park had been subject to consultation and decided at a lifelong learning committee in 2015.
They added: “The catchment area for Bertha Park High School has been in operation from the start of the 2018-2019 school session, and currently there are no plans for a review.
“There is a planned reduction in the number of school buses transporting pupils into Perth which will reduce numbers year on year over a five-year period, which will be fully reduced in 2023/2024 when Bertha Park High School is operating with six year groups.
“Secondary-age pupils from Luncarty, however, do not live within the statutory walking distance of any secondary school in Perth and Kinross and would require school transport regardless of which school they attend.”