Consultation on proposals to discontinue education provision at St Margaret's RC Primary School

Educational benefits statement

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Assessment of likely educational benefits on pupils 

The Educational Benefits Statement for this proposal has been prepared having regard to the guidance and explanatory notes published by the Scottish Government in association with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 and which are available for reference at the following website:

• Legislation.gov.uk

‘An education authority shall endeavour to secure improvement in the quality of school education which is provided in the schools managed by them; and they shall exercise their functions in relation to such provision with a view to raising standards of education.’

As required by the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 this Educational Benefits Statement is written from the perspective of benefits, should the proposal be implemented. Additionally the self-evaluation tool provided by Education Scotland is used to ensure compliance with the amended procedures now in place from the Act.

If this proposal is implemented, the council believes that there will be considerable educational benefits arising from this. These centre around:

• Learning and teaching 
• Meeting learners needs 
• Broadening the range of opportunities and 
• A more vibrant and lively learning environment 

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) sits at the heart of what Midlothian Council is committed to achieving in terms of raising attainment and achievement, and improving educational outcomes for all children. CfE is intended to nurture successful, effective, confident and responsible children, able to learn and utilise learning in a way that helps them reach their full potential and to respond to the increased variety and pace of change in today’s and tomorrow’s world. The principles of Curriculum for Excellence recognise the professionalism of teachers and the importance of this in exercising the freedom and responsibility associated with broader guidance. This means that schools are able to design their curriculum to meet the specific needs of their children and community while delivering their entitlement to a broad general education. 

The council is steadfast in our objective to stabilise and strengthen RC provision and denominational education within and across Midlothian. Because of the progress made to date we are now more optimistic about our ability to recruit and retain suitable teachers for our RC schools. With continued investment in our workforce plan, specifically for our RC schools, we will strengthen our ability to grow our own RC teachers, middle managers and head teachers.

St Margaret’s RC Primary School is a small school situated in the Loanhead settlement, with only two pupils attending the school from the start of the 2021/22 school session.  Most of the pupils who have recently chosen to attend elsewhere, attend either Loanhead Primary School or one of the other RC primary schools and continue to benefit from education in a locality familiar to them, and still relatively close to home.

The Education Service of Midlothian Council recognises the high quality of education provision offered at St Margaret’s Primary School. However it considers that the very small number of children attending the school would benefit more from the wider range and breadth of learning experiences available to them within other learning environments and within a wider peer group at their age and stage.

Building the Curriculum 5 states that ‘the purpose of the curriculum at the primary stages is to promote children’s development and learning across a broad range of contexts in order to develop their thinking and learning and their physical, personal and social growth. Primary education, whether for those in school settings or those not in schools, should support children to develop and mature as independent and cooperative learners who contribute actively across a range of learning and social situations.’ 

The implementation of this proposal would ensure that the children have this breadth of experience and have parity of access to learning and opportunities offered within larger establishments.

As part of the Curriculum of Excellence, one of the aims of Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce is to develop increased awareness of the world of work, social skills and employability skills. Such knowledge and understanding and skills acquisition very much benefit from discussions and dialogue with peers of the same age/stage and through increased opportunities for interaction with the community.

Learning and teaching 

The curriculum includes a broad range of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, to help every child and young person to develop knowledge, skills and attributes for success in learning, life and work. In St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment, children are encouraged to be eager and active participants, who are engaged both individually and cooperatively in groups, resilient and highly motivated during their learning. Children know that their views are sought, valued and acted upon.

The learning environment encourages high levels of achievement, providing a wide range of opportunities for children to achieve their full potential within the four contexts of learning. In St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment, children may be taught in classes composed of children from more than one year group and may have a wide variation of ages. Children benefit from being part of a social context in which they can build relationships with different groups and individuals, develop social skills, meet challenges and exercise responsibilities as members of a social group. They are able to interact and socialise with groups of children, take part in team activities and move with their peers to secondary school. 

At St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment, staff are challenged and supported through a range of continuous career long professional learning opportunities gained by working and learning with a range of colleagues. St Mary’s is part of the St David’s RC High School Associated School Group, which means that staff can collaborate readily across sectors, moderation and tracking of pupil progress is robust, and staff can more easily support a wide range of needs across age and stage appropriate groups. This includes support for those working towards individual milestones.

Colleagues within St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment are able to support and challenge each other on a daily basis, moderating their planning and learning experiences with colleagues working with children at the same level, thus ensuring appropriate support, challenge and progression. The whole staff team is able to bring a range of talents and skills to benefit outcomes for learners.

St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment encourages nurture and positivity. One aspect of this work is a successful Buddy System. Children from different stages work and learn together. This vertical support is particularly evident on sports day and in the dining room when groups of children are together in a social context. This system develops and benefits both the ‘buddy’ and the ‘buddied’. This system works well and benefits the wide range of children in the school. 

Meeting learners’ needs 

Through the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) practice model, meeting the needs of every child continues to be a priority and teachers carefully plan and assess to ensure each child has the opportunity to reach their potential. Careful tracking and monitoring procedures are in place to evidence pupil progress. At St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment this includes professional dialogue with teachers, learning discussions with children, classroom observations, assessment and looking at pupil work. 

St Mary’s and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment also have planned meetings and discussions with parents. These discussions between home and school improve parental engagement whilst focussing on next steps for learning. Where appropriate, interventions are put in place, while working effectively with other agencies and parents to ensure the needs of each child are met, including for those working towards individual milestones.

The staff, parent body and partner groups also bring opportunities for increased collaborative working. This applies both in terms of the wider curriculum and within aspects of the curriculum that may be enhanced by staff individual expertise e.g. PE, language, science, expressive arts teaching. 

 A ‘Respect Me’ policy is built into class lessons and permeates the whole school ethos through assemblies and collaborative class work on rights and responsibilities. 

Broadening the Range of Opportunities 

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) helps our children gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century. The development of skills is integral to supporting our children to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors (the four capacities). The range of skills and attributes that children develop should provide them with a sound basis for their development as lifelong learners in their adult, social and working lives, enabling them to reach their full potential. 

These skills should be developed across all curriculum areas, and are embedded into the Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes, requiring teachers to plan opportunities to develop them in a variety of ways, including engagement in active learning, interdisciplinary tasks and to experience learning in practical contexts. A critical part of all of this is learning in collaborative and cooperative situations with peers and age and stage appropriate groups.

Children at St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment are offered a range of active, planned experiences which help them develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing both now and in the future. This is in line with their entitlement to a broad general education.

There is also a strong transition planning process between St Mary’s RC Primary Schools and St David’s RC High School, which involves opportunities for children to participate and to make new connections.

Children at St Margaret’s RC Primary School would benefit from a variety of experiences to develop their sense of responsibility, independence, confidence and enterprising attitude, as well as teamwork experiences, which are provided at St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational Primary Schools in the catchment through work with larger cohorts of children of the same age and stage, and working at the same level.

Across St Mary’s RC Primary School children are engaged with learning and contribute well in lessons. Staff promote positive relationships at all levels, the impact of this being that children enjoy good relationships with their peers. They also have opportunities to support each other in their learning through cooperative and collaborative peer experiences.

Environment for learning 

St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational primary schools in the catchment are suitably-equipped and well supported, situated within 4.2 miles of St Margaret’s RC Primary School. The St Mary’s RC PS building is part of the new Hopefield Road School Campus, it is rated good (A) for both condition and suitability.  The school building is large enough to provide a full range of facilities, including Early Years provision and has facilities for pupils and visitors with special access needs. 

The learning environment in St Mary’s RC Primary School and other non-denominational primary schools in the catchment offers children the opportunity to participate in a wide range of active learning strategies, using atria and dedicated expressive arts and PE spaces. 

Assessment of the effects of the proposal (if implemented) on other users of the school

Implications for staff 

If this proposal is implemented, the staff in St Margaret’s RC Primary School will all be offered positions in other schools or settings. The staff will be supported by the HR Support Processes in the council to ensure a smooth transition in their roles. 

If this proposal is implemented, there will be no new implications for teaching and support staff in St Mary’s RC Primary School. 

If this proposal is implemented, the council does not envisage any adverse effects from the proposal in respect of staffing. Should issues arise however, these will be mitigated through the council’s Educational Leadership Team support structure. 

Assessment of likely educational benefits on any children who would be likely to become pupils at St Mary’s RC Primary School within two years of the publication of the proposal paper 

Children who may live in this catchment area in the future will benefit from the broad range of educational opportunities which are presented through this proposal, as detailed above. 

Pupils who would otherwise have attended St Margaret’s RC Primary School, would benefit from daily interaction in a larger denominational peer group and from improved educational arrangements as described above.

St Mary’s RC Primary School is a larger school which is able to support a wider range of social and extra-curricular activities.

Pupils attending St Mary’s RC Primary School will have more shared experiences and opportunity for friendships. This will enhance their confidence and ease their transition to secondary school. Larger year groups make the provision of specialist services more viable and provide enhanced opportunities for school trips.

St Mary’s RC Primary School meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. 

Assessment of the effects of the proposal (if implemented) on other pupils in the council area

The cost per pupil of operating St Margaret’s RC Primary School is relatively high compared with other Midlothian primary schools due to the low number of pupils attending. The reduction in school operating costs which would be achieved by the closure of St Margaret’s RC Primary School means that this is a saving to the council, though the future use of the building if the proposal has yet to be decided and may be retained to meet other educational demands.

There are no other significant negative impacts from this proposal on other pupils in the authority or on those who attend other schools. Council may decide that the saving that will be made if this proposal is implemented would be retained in the education budget to the benefit of pupils across the learning estate.

Placing requests 

This proposal will not affect the right of parents to request that their child attend a school of their choice rather than the designated school in whose catchment area the family lives as provided by the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. 

Summary of Educational Benefits Statement 

In summary, there is a range of educational benefits for pupils if this proposal is to be implemented, as summarised in the paragraphs above. There are benefits for the development of peer collaboration and cooperation, of social and emotional skills, as well as the educational benefits resultant from access to a more diverse curriculum.
Also the pupils will benefit from a Roman Catholic Education within a larger denominational community.

The educational benefits of this proposal, such as the ability for children to participate in a broader range of learning experiences, to learn within a wider peer group at their age and stage, and to have parity of access to learning and opportunities, are significant and will better meet the educational, social and emotional needs of the children. 

The one negative aspect for pupils identified arises from the children currently attending St Margaret’s RC Primary School having to travel further from home to school. However it is considered that the positive aspects of this proposal outweigh the negative aspect of some travelling for children.