Hundreds of west Fife families are no nearer knowing which high school their child will attend after councillors stalled a controversial catchment review.
Education officials were told to draft a new consultation proposal for rezoning existing secondary catchments of Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, Queen Anne and Woodmill High Schools amid ongoing concerns about the move.
Councillors on Fife’s education and children’s services committee agreed plans to rezone addresses within the Masterton Primary catchment area from Woodmill High to Inverkeithing High – which would have seen youngsters bussed out of town – should be shelved, following a backlash from parents.
While Masterton families may welcome that decision, there is no solution to looming issues at Woodmill High, which is expected to exceed capacity in August 2018.
Presenting the option which was due to go out to consultation, Shelagh McLean, head of education and children’s services, warned any delay was likely to see a much larger number of pupils fail to be accommodated within their catchment school.
She also stressed the management of placing requests had “bought us a year” in relation to Woodmill High, but confirmed the projected roll for 2018/19 was now 1492 – exceeding the maximum capacity of 1445 – and that action was needed.
“We do recognise that potential changes to school catchment areas can cause uncertainty for schools, parents and elected members,” she said.
“But we have identified a package of measures to address the issues we are facing, and the committee would have the option to progress with other options recommended at the end of the consultation, agree with the options wholly, in part, or not at all.”
A motion by committee member Alistair Crockett to proceed to consultation failed to find a seconder and, after a debate lasting more than two hours, committee convener Fay Sinclair’s amendment calling for a new consultation proposal without the Masterton aspect was agreed.
Suggesting the Masterton rezoning would “draw a stark line through a community”, she also asked that a new solution to capacity issues at Woodmill High is sought.
However, Ms McLean noted: “I don’t have another solution for Woodmill High – there is no other solution that we’ve been able to identify.”
One option which was previously discounted was the creation of temporary accommodation at a cost of £4.5 million.
Liberal Democrat education spokesman Councillor James Calder, who seconded the amendment, added: “It was ludicrous to suggest children in Masterton would have to go to a school that they would have poor public transport links and no ability to walk to when there are schools in Dunfermline they can do so in an easy manner.
“At least the threat of this happening has been prevented for now.
“However we still have the underlying problem to deal with – a major capacity crisis in Dunfermline’s high schools.
“The council administration and Scottish Government need to put the funding in as soon as possible to build new schools to ensure parents and children have the security of knowing there is enough space.”
