School plea

Campaigners state their case as pupil numbers set to jump

Homes planned as part of the Newton Community Growth area mean a new secondary school is a must for Cambuslang East, campaigners have said.

Figures obtained by the Reformer reveal the council expect the houses to bring the secondary school serving the area close to capacity.

The 1,725 houses planned as part of the Newton Community Growth area mean a new secondary school is a must for Cambuslang East, campaigners have said.

Figures obtained by the Reformer reveal that 1,125 of the planned homes in Newton have not yet been granted planning permission.

But South Lanarkshire Council says the additional houses have been factored into the projected pupil numbers for local schools, which are already bursting at the seams.

Should the homes - part of the £1.3billion Glasgow City Deal get the go-ahead as expected, an additional 698 youngsters will have to be squeezed into local schools.

And while the Newton development has been aligned with the catchment area for Uddingston Grammar, that school could struggle to cope with the number of secondary school children expected with a development of this scale.

Using the council’s own formula for projected school numbers, it is estimated that space for another 295 children will be required in secondary schools; 222 at Uddingston Grammar and 73 at Trinity High School.

With the current school role at Uddingston Grammar 1,072, the additional pupils from the Newton area alone bring the projected school roll to 1,294.

Although falling within the school’s capacity of 1,334, our figures do not include any other potential developments within the school catchment area in Uddingston.

Meanwhile, pupil numbers for Rutherglen and Cambuslang High Schools are expected to rocket over the same seven-year period.

Cathkin High School is already operating at full capacity, of 1,093 students, and the recently approved Gilbertfield development will see an estimated 50 additional youngsters aligned with the catchment area of that school.

It will also add an estimated 16 children to the school roll at Trinity High School, while the Newton development will add another 73 children to Trinity.

Stonelaw High School is also expected to be operating at full capacity by 2023.

The figures, according to Cambuslang East residents, are proof that a high school should be built in the area to not only provide a local school for these children, but a focus for the many hundreds who will call Cambuslang East home.

Jackie Rinn, secretary of Halfway Community Council, said: “These figures reinforce our argument that we need a high school in Cambuslang East.

“Figures also show that Cambuslang East generates the most in council tax for the council. The area is bursting at the seams. We need a high school and a decent health centre.”

South Lanarkshire Council’s head of education Des Dickson, said: “All potential developments in the Cambuslang and Rutherglen area have been factored into the council’s predicted pupil numbers for both primary and secondary schools in the area.

“The predictions for 2023 at this time show Cathkin High at 1,159, Stonelaw High at 1,499, Trinity High at 1,320 and Uddingston Grammar at 1,287.

“As part of our planning prior to 2023 it is the council’s intention to work with all these schools to review the efficient operating of the school and identify what improvements or additional accommodation is required to enhance capacity.

“We will continue to monitor and review the pupil numbers as we want to continue to provide high quality learning and teaching for the benefit of all young people in our schools.”