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Closure of three city primary schools confirmed



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Published Date: 20 November 2008
THREE primary schools in the Capital are to close following a vote by councillors this afternoon.
Despite long-running campaigns by parents, teachers and pupils, Lismore Primary in Bingham and Bonnington Primary in Leith will close their doors at the end of this term.

Hopes of a last-minute reprieve for Westburn Primary in Wester Hailes were dashed when Lord Provost George Grubb used his casting vote to add it to the closure list. It will shut next June.

The school's closure comes despite a plea from Chancellor and MP for Edinburgh South West, Alistair Darling, who wrote to councillors asking them to keep Westburn in operation.

The City Council says the closures are necessary to deal with over-capacity in Edinburgh's primary schools.





The full article contains 131 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 20 November 2008 5:23 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

MummyWease,

20/11/2008 17:29:38
Am very sad to hear this as at the end of the day smaller schools can give children so much more attention than bigger schools and can spot problems. At the end of the day these children have been failed by Mclaren and Tee, who will be gloating it up planning their next 3 closures.
2

Martin Salkeld,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 17:45:11
I can't believe that the council has decided to close Westburn Primary School despite objections from parents and teachers. Especially when one of the reasons for the closure was the running costs of the building itself. The cost per pupil would still be around about the same no matter which school they go to. However to find that the reason mentioned above doesn't really come into it when they are going to be using the building as council offices is absolutely astonishing and has left me and other completely flabbergasted. I think the councillors have to remember that they are in the position they are in because of the people and should be ashamed of themselves for going against the requests of the public/constituents
3

S Gillies,

Leith Edinburgh 20/11/2008 18:06:33
So sad they are closing Bonningtion at the end of this term. All the kids should be looking forward to christmas, instead they are dreading it as they are all having to move schools. They could have at least wait till summer or if that was too long easter. Just ruined all the kids christmas's. :(
4

loulou2007,

edinburgh 20/11/2008 18:10:56
I am devastated by this injustice.I am a parent from westburn and cannot believe that a huge decision like that can be left down to one vote. Surely that shows how divided they were about the closure in the first place. I dont know how they sleep at night. My son and I are heartbroken and is going to find this all difficult and all happening in his last year at primary.Westburn is a fantastic school and has really helped my son with his academic progress he arrived at school with so many problems and they spent alot of time with him to bring him to where he is now, I am terrified about the future in a bigger and less personal school, just hope he will be able to cope.
5

roadstohell,

20/11/2008 18:13:21
My sympathy to the kids & parents and staff of these schools. I remember the pain caused when we tried to keep "Orwell Primary " open. A great wee school. Just remember who carried this out when it's election time.

The same council that sees fit to spend Millions on their own vanity & pet projects, they are below contempt
6

loulou2007,

edinburgh 20/11/2008 18:16:28
here!here!
7

teacher M,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 18:23:05
I am a teacher in one of Edinburgh's schools near to Westburn. Yes the council has made some horrendous financial decisions in the past and we are having to pay for it now but it can't go on as it is.
Our school budget is unbelievably tight this year as it was last and inevitably it is the children who suffer. Closing these half-empty schools was never going to be a popular decision but it was one that had to be made to improve the resources available in schools to directly beneift the children.
It isn't nice for parents, pupils or staff when a school is forced to close but people must look at the bigger picture.
Every school that is closing is a 'good school' and may well support their pupils to an excellent standard but the staff in the schools will not disappear - they will still be doing excellent work, just in a different location and once the tears have dried I hope people will see the positives for all of the city's children despite the upset for these few.
8

loulou2007,

edinburgh 20/11/2008 18:41:56
I agree with you teacher M that it cant go on but yet again it is us that suffer due to their incompetence, these are people who we place in goverment and look at the great big mess they make.

I disagree about it all being positive when you here that the children will be put into classrooms that are going to be over run with children, My son finds it hard to cope in a small class let alone sticking him into such a full class where he will not get as much support. And incase you say that he will get this same support I have to disagree I also work within a school and have seen many children who dont recieve the quality of support my son recieves at westburn.They will be dearly missed
9

teacher M,

20/11/2008 18:47:57
Well I can only speak for my school which will be taking Westburn children. We will not be 'overrun with children' and we support our children very well.
10

MummyWease,

20/11/2008 19:26:09
Teacher M, in your school, are the staff not like a family? It's easy to see that you won't be truly affected. The staff at all the schools which are closing are going to be going through a grieving process off being split up. Many of these staff have worked together for over 6 years and become very close. They are devestated that they will no longer be working in the teams they are currently in and having to move to new schools and start all over again. There is also the worrying thought of being moved only to be told that school will be closing. There will be one school who will be over flowing as the parents are point blank refusing to go to the other 2 schools! I do hope that if your school receives any westburn staff that you don't tell them to just get over it as easily you seem to be protraying they should!

The children will also find it hard to adjust. Some of them struggle when they get a supply teacher for the day. Other children need the small school to be able to gain what they currently achieve. For some children Westburn is their home.
11

Martin Salkeld,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 20:21:41
Losing Westburn is a great loss to the community and the councillors should hang their heads in shame and as for teacher m, how can he say that the children will get the same amount of support when the class sizes will obviously increase possibly over the maximum number especially the primary 1,2,3's where the class sizes should only be as high as 18. I can't see the council give one class two qualified teachers as this would have a direct effect on that particular schools wage budget.
Its about time the council remembers who pays their wages.
12

Martin Salkeld,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 20:27:03
I refer this comment to Teacher M as one of your own. "Our school budget is unbelievably tight this year as it was last and inevitably it is the children who suffer." If your budget was tight this year as indeed it was last and can only be set to get worse how can you say that you will be able to offer the same support and supervision to the staff and student alike when the money is not there as there was nothing in the proposals to say that the money saved if any would be going into the schools it could just be going to another fund within the education department and not back into the schools.
13

COLINTON.MAINS,

Oakville Ontario 20/11/2008 20:40:11
.MR.GRUBB.ALWAYS.USES.HIS.VOTE.TO.SCREW.IT.UP
14

teacher M,

20/11/2008 21:06:18
MummyWease, You say I won't be truly affected? The outcome of the Westburn closure may in fact be that my contract is not renewed in order to make way for Westburn staff. I agree that it must be awful to be involve with one of the schools closing. All I suggest is that the wider picture is considered.
Mathew Salkeld, part of the agreement to our school taking pupils form Westburn is that our building is regenerated and budget increased as well as having more staff in school to meet the needs of the pupils. While the council proposals did not outline this I can assure you that other schools will benefit - although, perhaps not as much as they should, I admit.
15

MummyWease,

20/11/2008 21:24:34
On the subject of school budgets, they will be even tighter next school year as the cut is 1.5% again with a 2% cut on top of that for eco reasons which effectively is a 3.5% cut so things will be even tighter. Even with the extra pupils the schools will be lucky to receive the same as they did this year. Many bigger schools are majorly struggling with the budget cuts already.
Teacher M must be on a temporary contract to possibly not have a contract renewed. Permanent staff will always get another job within Edinburgh. They learnt their lessons when they did away with all the excess nursery nurses of not giving permanent contracts.
As for the proposed building operations they said it would be within a 2 year time slot. So that means they probably won't start until 2 years down the line. The money saved by these schools will be going to clear the 18 million pound debt.
16

teacher M,

20/11/2008 21:31:50
All I can say is that's not what our school is being told directly.
I know about the further budget cuts for schools but it would seem that schools taking extra children are being given some funding - but then, you never know!
17

AuntieCutbacks,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 21:56:56
My last comment hasn't appeared - testing!
18

AuntieCutbacks,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 22:43:03
Shame on the council for closing a school with nearly 140 kids. I’ll never vote SNP or Lib Dem again.
140 kids – that’s a lot to rehome. Fortunately, parents still have some choice left, so teacherM you’ll never teach my kids. But if you do get Westburn kids adding to your class please treat them sensitively, also your own kids who will get less of your class time once the numbers rise – that’s not rocket science.
Today’s closure went straight to the full council. It by-passed the Education Committee. That leaves it wide open for the next closures to go straight to full council – Mummy Wease said a few days ago that Gillian tee had said she wanted to get on with the next closures – how many? How soon? It only took from june to November to get today’s 3 closed.
Teacher M – you must be on a temporary contract. If your school roll drops, you’d probably be moved on anyway, so don’t try to blame it on Westburn teachers who won’t be moving by choice, but they are experienced, permanent teachers and do you expect them to resign? Get real.
Martin salkeld – 2 teachers to a class is already happening. Corstorphine Primary has 40+ P1s in one room with one teacher, and it is not the only one. Sighthill has huge rooms. Say no more.
19

Exiled in Cape Town,

21/11/2008 05:36:37
I went to Bonnington Road (& Docky Bell's it's Annex on Gt Junction St.) from 60 to 66 and still have memories of a great time with a great education grounding. Sorry to hear it go, but economics unfortunately have to play a part to ensure children get the chance for a start in life that will allow them to develop and become something.
20

Doh,

21/11/2008 09:19:01


Always sad if a school closes but these closures were long overdue - Labour was planning to close them (and others) long ago but put those plans on hold to fight the last election. I am pleased to see that the Labour councillors have been more responsible now.

The council has to run services for the whole city and not simply subsidise empty schools to the expense of every other school.
21

bluehead,

edinburgh 21/11/2008 10:22:20
what else can you expect from this pile???
22

Labradoodle,

21/11/2008 10:44:59
Yes there will be upheaval but the children will adjust and make lots of new friends on top of their current friends. I suspect the children will get over this quicker than their parents.
Comments 11 and 12 are just ill informed rubbish - There is legislation on class sizes. Its no wonder the children are nervous when their parents are spouting stuff like that.
23

Top Floor,

21/11/2008 10:49:52
The Lord Provost used a casting vote to close a school ?

Is that not against the Council's constitution as well as being morally reprehensible ?
24

Martin Salkeld,

Edinburgh 21/11/2008 16:05:45
Unfortunately not. In most cases when there is a tied vote the lord provost or chairman of any organisation etc can cast a second vote giving the overall decision. I do agree that it does not seem fair but thats the way it works.

 

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