Children living near the new Bertha Park developments could attend different schools as catchment areas are set to be amended to save a rural school from closure.
Ruthvenfield Primary School faced being closed as part of plans to build a new school adjacent to Bertha Park High School.
Thousands of houses will be built around Bertha Park, Almond Valley and west Perth in the coming years and the rural school, which has capacity for just 91 pupils, cannot support the expected demand for primary education.
Councillors decided to maintain the small school and amend its catchment area while building the new primary school, which could be complete by 2026.
Ruthvenfield’s current catchment area covers a widespread rural area, however that will be scaled back in time for the new school being built.
The popular school will also undergo improvements over the next few years as it is currently rated category C – one of the worst ratings inspectors give.
Its catchment review also impacts allocation at neighbouring schools in Pitcairn, Tulloch and Luncarty.
Catchment changes
Under the proposals to be consulted upon, the current Ruthvenfield Primary catchment area would remain, with the exception of those living in the Huntingtowerfield area.
Pupils living here would instead attend the new Bertha Park school once it is built.
Planned housing developments directly adjacent to Ruthvenfield, or those nearby such as The Orchard, Ruthvenfield View and Ruthvenfield Road, will also be in the rural school’s catchment area.
Meanwhile, pupils living in houses built at Auld Mart, to the north of Perth West, will be allocated the new school once it is built instead of Ruthvenfield.
The catchment for pupils living in Almond Valley will be changed from Ruthvenfield and Pitcairn to the new school.
Bertha Park residents will also move to the new school instead of Pitcairn, Ruthvenfield or Luncarty.
Double Dykes residents will attend Bertha Park school over Tulloch Primary School.
It is expected all pupils in these areas will attend the state-of-the-art high school which was built at Bertha Park in 2019.
How much will the new school cost?
With around 2,300 new dwellings expected in the next 11 years, a new school is considered necessary by Perth and Kinross Council.
It is expected 620 new primary aged pupils will need to be accommodated across the local area.
The local authority allocated £14.35 million to build the new primary school at Bertha Park, however much of the funds will be recouped through developer contributions as housebuilding takes place.
Current plans project the school will comprise of 141 teaching classrooms and a nursery.
As well as the new school, capital funding of approximately £275,000 will be needed to improve the condition rating of Ruthvenfield Primary School.
