New policy sparks hope for school roll
Admissions change at St Mary’s
Supporters of a Dunblane school hope a new admissions policy will help restore a classroom closed last year due to falling pupil numbers.
Last year parents and supporters of Dunblane’s St Mary’s Episcopal Primary School lost their battle to stop one of their four classrooms being cut by Stirling Council, fearing it could mark a slippery slope to complete closure.
However, at this month’s children and young people committee it was made easier for parents to select St Mary’s as their children’s school.
The 150-year-old school is one of three primaries in Dunblane, the others being Dunblane and Newton.
The school is the only one in Scotland to have opted out of local authority control (then Central Regional Council), in October 1995, under previous legislation brought in by the Tory Government. It was forcibly returned to the control of Stirling Council in April 2003.
Although it is a denominational school, it has no catchment area and placement is not prioritised on the basis of religious affiliation.
St Mary’s previously had a separate admissions policy and application form.
However, the school is now to be aligned with Stirling Council’s admissions to schools and placing request policies and is therefore now included in the provision of denominational education section of the council’s admission policy.
The separate process of applying for enrolment at St Mary’s will no longer be required.
Parents and supporters of the school hope this will see demand for the school rise above the currently reduced limit of 75 pupils, to allow the fourth classroom to be restored and be able to cater for up to 100 of
Dunblane’s youngsters.
Former pupil of the school, Tory councillor Alastair Majury said: “I would like to thank Gillian Robertson, and also the parents, and teachers at St Mary’s for making this possible.
“This change makes the process easier for everyone to understand, and hence to become part of the vibrant St Mary’s community.”
A spokesperson for the school’s parent council said: “We would like to get the message across that we are open to everyone in the Stirling area, Episcopalian or not.”
Last year Stirling Council’s SNP/Labour administration said the calculation of the number of classes needed in schools was an “operational matter” for council officers and denied the school’s capacity was being effectively capped at 75, given composite classes had a 25-pupil limit. Education officials wanted to reduce the four classes to three after a drop in the school roll to 65 pupils.
Parents and supporters had feared the council’s ultimate aim may be to close it by stealth and claimed its existence was not being properly made known to families.
The updated admissions policy also now includes information relating to Gaelic medium education in the Stirling Council area and the provision of education in Additional Supports Needs establishments.