Anger as shared head teacher plan approved

Outraged parents have blasted councillors after a controversial plan for two secondary schools to become the first in Scotland to share a head teacher has been approved.

Councillors voted in favour of trialling a shared head teacher between Ayr Academy and Kyle Academy on Tuesday morning despite every response to a consultation rejecting the plan.

And parents say councillors who attended public meetings told them they would oppose the plan – before voting unanimously in favour of the scheme.

One Ayr Academy parent said: “A room full of parents and children from both schools attended the meeting, we listened as the director contradicted himself on a few occasions and two councillors, Bill Grant and Rita Miller, had their say, both in favour of this proposal.

“The rest of us had to sit on our hands as our input was not permitted.

“I could not believe the silence from our councillors who had encouraged the Parent Council to hold a second meeting, who had told them they supported the opinions of the parents, who were in disagreement with the proposal and would help with a matter that was going to have an immediate affect on all S4, S5 and S6 pupils as they were half way through their studies for exams, to then be present in that room today and sit in silence.

“I have lost all faith in our councillors and wouldn’t know where to turn in the future for assistance.

“A shake up is needed to get the current councillors out the pockets of the big wigs and back into the heart of communities where they belong.”

Kyle Academy head teacher Lyndsay McRoberts will become Executive Head Teacher, serving both Kyle and Ayr Academy, after councillors voted through the plans.

Current Ayr Academy head Kate MacDonald is expected to be “redeployed” within South Ayrshire Council’s education service.

Parents and pupils from both schools turned out in force at South Ayrshire Council’s Leadership Panel to hear the outcome of the plans they have railed against.

Education boss Douglas Hut c h i s o n s a i d a l l 2 1 consultation opposed the plans and highlighting concerns including fears of a merger between Ayr Academy and Kyle Academy and the introduction of new levels of management.

But he says the shared head plan will address “long- standing problems” such as a falling school roll and a high number of pupils from deprived backgrounds.

He told councillors: “The proposal will address longstanding problems at Ayr Academy.

“I am of the view that staff at Ayr Academy work just as hard and are no less able – but when a secondary school gets to a certain size it becomes difficult to improve things.”

Parent councillors at Ayr Academy – one of the oldest secondary schools in Scotland – had arranged public meetings to try and urge councillors to reject the plan.

And despite elected members vowing to support the parents in their opposition, there were no dissenting voices at the meeting.

Conservative councillor Bill Grant said: “I welcome the report for a whole raft of reasons.

“It’s aimed at improving the life chances of people at Ayr Academy. Whilst many people consider Ayr Academy a good school it appears there’s a ground swell of opinion away from that.

“We cannot look away, we cannot turn a blind eye to this.”

The plan will be trialled through the rest of this school year and for the whole of next year, before councillors will receive an update in 22 months.