Lochgelly pupils to move schools during year-long closure

By Kieran Webster

October 26 2022, 5:51pm

Fife Council is proposing to close Lochgelly South Primary School for a year from next summer. Image: Google Street View

A Fife primary school is to close for a year during work to increase its capacity.

Pupils at Lochgelly South Primary School will be moved to St Kenneth’s RC Primary in Ballingry while major ground works are carried out to stabilise mine workings below the school building and grounds.

Parents are being invited to drop-in sessions to learn more about the plans, and how the temporary move to St Kenneth’s would work.

Why does the school need to close?

Fife Council says the school roll at Lochgelly South has been rising for some time and it wants to add a modular unit in the grounds to house nursery pupils, increasing the space available in the main school — which was built in 1911.

Investigations showed there are historic mine workings which will need to be stabilised to protect the existing school and allow for expansion.

Some of the drilling work will need to be done from inside the building, which would cause too much disruption to pupils.

The council hopes work will begin in July 2023, and last for a year.

What will happen to pupils?

The council proposes that primary pupils will move to St Kenneth’s during the year-long closure.

It says the two schools would continue to operate separately from the one site, and points to recent examples — such as when Woodmill High pupils were hosted by neighbouring schools following a fire — as showing how this could work.

Pupils would move to St Kenneth’s in Ballingry under the council’s plan. Image: Google Street View.

Lochgelly’s nursery pupils would attend Sunflower Nursery on Mcgregor Avenue in the town.

The council says it would lay on buses to take children to and from St Kenneth’s, which is about three miles away.

Is Lochgelly South Primary dangerous?

The council says the mine workings, if left untouched, could lead to issues such as cracks in masonry. However, it has stressed this would not pose a risk to pupils.

Head of education and children’s services Shelagh McLean says “there are no concerns regarding the safety of pupils and staff”.