Primary schools across Angus are facing a huge gulf in occupancy rates in the coming years.
Some are bursting at the seams, while others have almost empty classrooms.
In one case – Mattocks – a temporary classroom is being sited at the school in time for the start of the new school year.
The primary is due to welcome 77 youngsters in August – two more than its 75-pupil capacity.
But in nearby Newbigging, fears over the long-term future of the village primary have emerged because of a five-pupil tally that is just 10% of capacity.
No Angus schools under immediate threat
Council education chiefs have delivered an assurance no Angus primary is being lined up for mothballing or closure.
Last week, children and learning councillors agreed a formal mothballing policy for under-occupied schools.
It will allow the authority to turn the key on any primary that falls to a very low level of pupils.
But education director Kelly McIntosh gave an assurance it would not be used as a shortcut to closure.
“At this moment we are not considering any schools for mothballing,” she said.
“Any work to mothball a school would involve consultation with the stakeholders, including obviously the parents and the children.
“Mothballing is different to closure.
“If we are moving to mothball, we are moving to mothball.
“We won’t mothball knowing that what we really want to do is close.
She vowed: “We would never do that.”
How things look for the new school year
We took a look at the highs and lows of occupancy rates in Angus primary schools.
The five Angus primaries forecast to be closest to capacity in August are:
- Mattocks 103% (77 pupils)
- Liff 96% (120 pupils)
- Stracathro 92% (23 pupils)
- Hayshead 91% (476 pupils)
- Seaview 91% (384 pupils)
The five schools with the lowest projected occupancy are:
- Newbigging 10% (5 pupils)
- Carmyllie 20% (20 pupils)
- Tannadice 31% (83 pupils)
- Aberlemno 34% (17 pupils)
- Tealing 39% (32 pupils)
Future years forecasts for Angus schools
On or before 2029, the picture is predicted to change.
The highest occupancy schools are:
- Strathmartine 112% (56 pupils)
- Mattocks 104% (78 pupils)
- Glamis 95% (71 pupils)
- Liff 92% (115 pupils)
- Murroes 91% (105 pupils)
Those with capacity to spare are:
- Newbigging 16% (8 pupils)
- Carmyllie 22% (22 pupils)
- Tannadice 30% (79 pupils)
- St Margaret’s 42% (21 pupils)
- Tealing 44% (36 pupils)
Here is the full chart with occupancy rates for your local primary.
Future pressures
The director said her staff will be keeping a close eye on primaries which creep close to capacity in coming years.
“The school roll projections indicate that Glamis, Liff, Mattocks and Strathmartine may experience capacity issues in future years,” added Ms McIntosh.
“Further housing development in the Forfar locality could result in increased pressure on primary schools.
“At present there are no other significant concerns regarding the capacity of our schools to the period to 2029.
“For these settings and all other schools capacity concerns are addressed through the careful management of the roll and placing requests.
Secondaries status
Only Monifieth High School is near capacity, with a projected pupil roll in August of 1,048 taking it to 99% capacity.
But work is due to begin soon on the new £66.5 million community school that will have room for 1,200 pupils.
Arbroath Academy is the least-occupied Angus secondary, with 704 pupils representing 66% of capacity.
The latest discussions around the Angus estate saw councillors drop major Arbroath and Montrose plans from the council’s 30-year Schools for the Future.
Officials said they could not commit large sums to projects such as a combined Arbroath secondary ‘super-school’ because of the increased cost of Monifieth High.
Council depute chief executive Mark Armstrong rejected a suggestion other schools would be left to ‘make do and mend’ as a result.
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