Consultations - Proposal to discontinue education provision at St Margaret's RC Primary School

The consultation is now closed.

• Read the report

On 15 February 2022, Midlothian Council approved the proposal to discontinue education provision at St Margaret’s RC Primary School, Loanhead, with effect from 1 July 2022.

As per the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 Scottish Ministers have been notified of this decision and now have a period of eight weeks to decide whether to issue a call in notice.

Members of the public have a period of three weeks during which they can make representations to Scottish Ministers regarding whether they wish a call in to be issued or not.

All representations must be made before this three week period ends on Monday 7 March 2022.

Representations can be submitted online to schoolclosure@gov.scot or by post to:

School Funding, Infrastructure and Organisation Unit
Learning Directorate
Area 2B North Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
 

The proposals are to:

• Discontinue education provision at St Margaret’s RC Primary School from 1 July 2022.
• Extend the catchment boundaries of St Mary’s, St Matthew’s and Sacred Heart RC Primary Schools to include the St Margaret’s catchment area.
• Give remaining pupils the choice of attending St Mary’s RC Primary School or their non-denominational catchment primary school. 
• Provide school transport for all children affected, where there is no safe walking route to school and/or the distance from home to school is more than two miles.
• Continue to provide early learning and childcare as per the current arrangements.

Public meetings

Meetings (both virtual and in-person)  took place on:

• 12 October 2021 at 6.30pm at Loanhead Primary School
• 13 October 2021 at 6.30pm. This was a virtual meeting offered on MS Teams 
• 27 October 2021 - virtual drop-in sessions took place throughout the day between 10am and noon, 2pm to 4pm and 6pm-8pm. 

The minutes will be forwarded to Education Scotland along with all other submissions and comments that are received by the council during the consultation process as explained above.