Having a say on school leadership collectives
The meeting generated a stream of questions from the public...
Community councillors in Taynuilt have delayed their response to Argyll and Bute Council’s collective leadership proposals for schools.
After hosting a lengthy Zoom session last week to hear a presentation on the possible changes, community councillors decided they needed more time to respond. The feedback required tickbox answers with options of saying more.
Argyll and Bute education manager Wendy Brownlie and Oban High School executive headteacher Peter Bain, who is the voice of a consultation video explaining the shake-up plans, led the presentation and answered questions at the virtual meeting on Monday January 17.
The online meeting was open to the community and generated a stream of questions from the public. Many were members of Taynuilt School’s parent council who are due a presentation soon.
Argyll and Bute has published a timetable for consultations and has extended the deadline to Friday March 4.
Community council convener David Sloss told The Oban Times after the meeting: ‘I think we will be for it.’
The meeting heard that even if Argyll and Bute Council agrees the proposals, it could still be another five to 10 years before the new leadership model is implemented.
Mr Sloss said he was trying to make contact with the village’s toddlers’ group to encourage parents and carers to take a look at what the proposals could mean for their children and to have a say.
Ms Brownlie told the Zoom session ‘some really good questions’ had been ‘captured’ and would be ‘fed back into the system’.
The meeting heard in the first instance that leaders for the collective model would be drawn from the area’s existing headteachers and an assurance was also given that no collectives or clusters have been created yet. Other assurances included no schools would be shut as part of the collective leadership plans - although it was pointed out that occasionally school rolls drop so they are no longer viable. Kilchrenan Primary School was used as an example. Pupils from Kilchrenan will move to Taynuilt Primary School from February 14 (See P14).
Mull Community Council and Tobermory Parent Council are also scheduling consultation sessions to offer input.
Iona Community Council has now been told there will not be a review of a Freedom of Information response they received from the council, but they can still appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner.
West Kintyre Community Council has not decided how to respond yet. Councillors’ views were mixed at a meeting last week so they will be canvassing their own ward areas to get a greater feel from the community before responding.
One of the main subjects discussed at the meeting was the need to find ways of attracting teachers to Argyll and Bute to work and live, and in particular those teaching STEM subjects which, they say, this proposal does not seem to address.