Pupils move to Drymen school

A rural primary has closed after its five remaining pupils moved to another school.

Buchanan Primary will be mothballed for the remainder of the 2017-18 term and all of the 2018-19 school year pending a final decision on its future.

Stirling Council’s education committee agreed to the closure of the school at their meeting last week. Staff have been re-allocated roles within Stirling Council.

Officials told councillors the roll at the Milton of Buchanan schoolhad fallen steadily over the past few years.

Five children enrolled for 2017 requested and accepted a place at Drymen Primary, leaving the school with no pupils .

A spokesman said: “This decline has coincided with consistent placing requests for pupils in the Buchanan catchment area to other surrounding schools over the past years, the majority of which have been made for primary one pupils for the nearby Drymen Primary.”

During the mothball period, the catchment area for Drymen will be extended to include the Buchanan area, and free home-to-school transport will be offered to eligible pupils.

Education convener Susan McGill said the decision to mothball any school was never taken lightly. However, they had little choice after the remaining five pupils opted to go to Drymen Primary.

She said a report on the school would be brought before the education committee before start of the 2019-20 term.

“The decision to mothball Buchanan Primary is by no means permanent and the education committee will continue to monitor the situation and the school’s status will be reconsidered later this year,” she added.

Forth and Endrick Tory councillor and education committee member Alistair Berrill said: “The council must support communities, and do its utmost to retain village schools where possible, but it is absolutely the right of parents to decide what is in their children’s best interests. It is also very important young people have a peer group around them as they progress through school.”

Will continue to monitor the situation