Parents’ anxiety over future of pupils’ education amid chaos

As fire crews dampened down the embers at Woodmill High School, there was anxiety among parents about where their children would continue their education.

Having been back for just three days, pupils could now face being split up from their peers and forced to continue their studies elsewhere after the school was ravaged by fire on Sunday.

Parent Laura Murray said she had to campaign for her son Ryan, who is 12 and has just started second year, to go to Woodmill after a rezoning of school catchment areas meant he was to attend Inverkeithing High.

“We were part of the original 90 children who didn’t get in here and we’re obviously worried about where he’s going to go now, with Dunfermline schools so tight for places,” she said.

“Ryan was in primary one to seven with the same children, then he was going to be shipped out to Inverkeithing.”

Ms Murray, 34, added: “Woodmill is a good school, with a good reputation and good exam results.

“He had a great first year and we’re just worried about what the future holds now for all the children.”

A number of parents and former pupils turned up at the scene yesterday morning to see for themselves the devastation caused by the blaze.

Leanne Thompson, 40, whose sons Kyran, 12, and Ben, 15, are Woodmill pupils, was close to tears when she saw the extent of the fire.

“It’s absolutely devastating,” she said.

“My son has just started S1 and he’s quite concerned about it. They’ve only been there three days and are concerned they’re going to be split up and put into other schools.

“When they did the P7 transition, that was all in this building, and it’s gone.

“I think the biggest concern is if they get split up, where they’re going to go. It’s a daunting time, S1.

“As a parent, it’s very daunting because my older son will be doing his Highers. It’s a very important year. ”

Ms Thompson, who lives in Dunfermline’s eastern expansion, said she could smell the smoke from her home and had to close her windows.

“There was ash on top of the car this morning,” she added.

Former pupil Scott Hunter, 41, said: “They were fighting right through the night to stop the fire and it just wouldn’t stop.

“It’s tragic.”