Kinloch parents’ despair over ‘revolving door’ of teachers

Highland Council this week stands accused of riding roughshod over the concerns of parents in Kinlochleven, leaving the local primary school in what has been described as a ‘downward spiral’ due to a constant ‘revolving door’ of teacher appointments.

The situation has now been compounded with the shock news that popular overall head teacher of the whole threeto-18 years campus that combines nursery, primary and secondary education, Rebecca Machin, is leaving her post to go back to classroom teaching in Invergordon.

Speaking to the Lochaber Times this week, local parent council chairperson, Pauline Byers, told us: ‘We as parents are extremely concerned about our children’s education in Kinlochleven Primary.

‘Over the past four years we have had five heads/acting heads in the primary school.

‘We lost our last acting head, who was promised the role of Deputy Primary Head under the new three-to-18 campus, to another region, due to the total incompetence of Highland Council, leaving the school in a downward spiral since.

‘We have had serious problems in the school with a constant revolving door of staff. We have expressed our concerns to Highland Council Education on numerous occasions, to be disregarded and pushed aside constantly.

‘We had staff off with stress, a period of time with no head/ acting head at all, high school staff having to cover primary classes and a constant parade of supply teachers through our doors.

‘Due to Highland Council’s failures to provide adequate staffing, our Primary 6/7 class has had more than 10 different teachers in one year.

‘Parents are now in the position of Primary 7 pupils going

Councillor Andrew Baxter with concerned parents outside Kinlochleven Primary School.

into high school where we have serious concerns about their level of education.’

Asked to comment, local Highland councillor, Andrew Baxter (Fort William and Ardnamurchan), told us: ‘Once again, we see confusion in our primary schools ahead of the new school year.

‘The Highland Council system of staff allocation leads to uncertainty for our staff, which I know is having an impact on morale.

‘And there is even more uncertainty for our children, who continue to see a conveyor belt of teachers. After so many months of upheaval the one thing our children need is a familiar face and certainty when they return to school.

‘Yet, I am told not to ask questions about specific schools at council meetings.’

The area’s constituency MSP, Kate Forbes, said she was sorry to hear that Rebecca Machin was leaving.

‘She was very much the driving force behind a lot of the high school initiatives and I’m sure she’ll be sorely missed by colleagues, pupils and families in the area,’ said Ms Forbes.

‘Adapting to a three-to-18 campus requires a period of transition, but that task is made much harder if there is a lack of continuity in the senior leadership team.

‘The primary parent council has told me there have been four depute heads in five years, so I hope Highland Council will look very seriously at what can be done so pupils can enjoy a time of stability. That is in everyone’s best interests.

‘I am raising this matter with the Highland Council and hope to secure answers for local parents who are understandably worried by these developments.’