20 May 2004
Midlothian Schools Proposals Move Forward

Midlothian Council today agreed a package of proposals which will take nursery and primary education in Midlothian forward so that over half of the pupils will be taught in buildings designed for the 21st century curriculum.

The Council agreed that four rural schools - Cranston, Borthwick, Temple and Cousland will remain open until new build schools are completed in 2006/07. Howgate primary school, with only 8 pupils attending from its catchment area, will however close in the summer, with parents being given the option to place their child in Cornbank St James Primary school.

Seventeen new schools are being proposed, 1 more than in the original report. The additional school will be built, subject to securing appropriate funding, in the Middleton area, to serve pupils from the Borthwick and Temple catchment area. Pupils from Cranston and Cousland schools will transfer to the new Pathhead/Tynewater primary school when it is completed in 2006/07. This will mean children from these four schools will move to small, village-based schools and is in response to representations received from parents.

The other decisions taken by the Council are listed below:

• Stobhill Primary - rebuild under PPP
• Gorebridge Primary - rebuild under PPP
• Woodburn Primary - refurbish and extend, incorporating Thornybank Nursery
• Bryans and Langlaw - rebuild under PPP and merge in a new building on a greenfield site
• Bonnyrigg Primary - refurbish and extend, incorporating Cockpen Nursery
• Loanhead and St Margaret's - rebuild schools under PPP in a shared campus on the Loanhead Primary School site
• Eastfield and Ladywood - rebuild under PPP and merge, incorporating Strathesk Nursery, on the Edinburgh Crystal site
• Cuiken - refurbish and extend to incorporate Cuikenburn Nursery
• Pathhead Primary - rebuild under PPP, to include pupils from Cranston and Cousland

Further discussions will be undertaken with communities on a number of key changes which have been agreed following the consultation on the original proposals These are:

• an option for Howgate pupils to transfer to Cornbank St James primary school in Penicuik rather than Cuiken Primary School, proposed in the original report
• the creation of a new school at Middleton to serve the Borthwick and Temple catchment area
• the merger of Bryans and Langlaw Primary School on a greenfield site rather than either of the existing school sites
• the merger of Eastfield and Ladywood primary schools on the site previously occupied by Edinburgh Crystal.
• the relocation of pupils from Cousland primary schools to Pathhead primary school. In the previous report Cousland pupils would have transferred to Woodburn primary school.

£38.5m PPP funding will be invested in building seven new schools and capital funding will be used to refurbish and extend three schools and to build two new ones. Funding for the additional school in Middleton is still to be identified. In addition a further seven schools will be funded by contributions linked to developers building new homes in the area.

Speaking following the meeting, Councillor Adam Montgomery said: "Midlothian Council and the three religious representatives took part in today's meeting. We have listened to representatives from the affected schools, both today and throughout the consultation period and have deliberated at great length because we want to ensure the best educational start for young people in Midlothian. Today's decisions show that we have listened and tried to accommodate the views put to us. There will be some people disappointed at the decisions taken but I would ask them to look hard at what we have put in place today and see the benefits which will arise for so many pupils both now and in the future."

"We are a small Council and have already opened four new schools this year, on budget and on time. We are now making a further major financial commitment - £38.5m in PPP funding as well as capital funding for 2 new schools and 3 refurbished and extended schools. This money will be a sound investment for future generations of Midlothian children."

Councillor Peter Boyes, Cabinet Member added: "Today is a landmark day for Midlothian Council's education service. We have a tremendous opportunity to offer pupils the chance to learn in brand new or refurbished schools - almost two thirds of the nursery and primary school estate. The overall programme we have agreed today will mean the closure of some schools but means we can offer the highest possible standard of education and community facilities in many more. We have set a standard in the Dalkeith Schools Community Campus which we are striving to achieve for all Midlothian pupils and today is a huge step towards achieving this goal."

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