Statutory Consultation - Review of Education Provision Hutton Primary School
Dumfries and Galloway Council is proposing, subject to the outcome of the statutory consultation process, to discontinue education provision at Hutton Primary School.
Update
Hutton Primary School consultation update - 15 October 2024
Following the decision of the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee on 10 October 2024 to approve the proposal to close Hutton Primary School, Dumfries and Galloway Council has now informed Scottish Ministers of this decision in accordance with Section 15(2) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended.
Details for submitting representations to Scottish Ministers are as follows:
By email - schoolclosure@gov.scot
By post - The Scottish Government, School Infrastructure Unit, 2A (South Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
The deadline for making representations to Scottish Ministers is Thursday 31 October(3 weeks from the decision date).
Dumfries and Galloway Council's Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee considered the findings of the statutory consultation on the future of Hutton Primary School at its meeting on 10 October 2024 and approved implementation of the proposal to permanently discontinue education provision at Hutton Primary School and split the catchment are between Applegarth Primary School and Langholm Primary School with effect from 1 January 2025.
The Council is satisfied that implementation of the proposal is the best solution to address the underlying reasons for its formulation, namely:
- Hutton Primary School has been formally mothballed for seventeen months, with no pupils in attendance since August 2020, almost 3.5 years. The school roll is not predicted to rise significantly in the near future.
- Dumfries and Galloway is currently experiencing a significant and sustained fall in pupil numbers with the National Records of Scotland predicting a further 18.2% fall in the 0-15 age group from 2018 to 2032.
- Along with several other rural councils, Dumfries and Galloway Council is facing increasing challenges in recruiting staff.
- Whilst the school is mothballed, the building is deteriorating with limited budgets for repairs, maintenance and capital investment. The annual cost of mothballing the building is £5,380.
Officers of the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Directorate have carefully considered all of the consultation feedback and reviewed the proposal to consider whether any of the representations led Dumfries and Galloway Council to reconsider any other options as being reasonable alternatives to the proposal.
Dumfries and Galloway Council is satisfied that the educational benefits of the Proposal far outweigh any potential disadvantages. Implementation of the Proposal would have a neutral impact on travelling arrangements, as these have been in place since the temporary arrangements in August 2020 and the subsequent mothballing in September 2022. In addition, implementation of the Proposal will allow children in the present Hutton Primary School catchment area to have access to increased learning opportunities, wider experiences and better socialisation through being part of a larger school. There are insufficient parents/carers within the Hutton Primary School catchment area indicating a preference to place their children at Hutton Primary School to make the school viable for re-opening. If the school were to remain mothballed this would be a continuing drain on the Council's resources. Implementation of this Proposal will assist the Council to deliver 'Best Value' through making more efficient and effective use of its resources - including staffing resources as the Council continue to tackle the increasing challenge of recruiting teaching staff against a backdrop of decline pupil numbers. Furthermore, the Council will continue to support local groups within the communities of Hutton Primary School to explore options for potential future use of the School premises.
This notice is to inform interested parties regarding the decision made at the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee on 10 October 2024 to approve the proposal to close Hutton Primary School with an implementation date of 1 January 2025. This notice is available in accordance with Section 11A(3) of the Act.
2 September 2024
In March 2024, Dumfries and Galloway Council's Education and Learning Committee agreed that a consultation with all stakeholders be undertaken on the proposal to close Hutton Primary School, and realign its catchment area.
Dumfries and Galloway Council has undertaken this consultation seeking views on the proposal, under the terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended. The Consultation Report can be viewed here:
A decision on this proposal will be made by Dumfries and Galloway Council's Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee at their meeting on Thursday 10 October 2024. An update on the decision made in regard to this proposal will be made available here.
Review of Education Provision Hutton Primary School - 24 April - Friday 7 June 2024
Why we are consulting?
This Proposal has been issued by Dumfries and Galloway Council Education and Learning Directorate in accordance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended. Dumfries and Galloway Council is proposing, subject to the outcome of the statutory consultation process, to discontinue education provision at Hutton Primary School which is currently mothballed and:
- re-align its catchment area to Applegarth Primary School or
- split and realign the catchment area between Applegarth Primary School and Langholm Primary School
It is proposed that education provision at Hutton Primary School be discontinued with effect from 1 January 2025.
A public meeting will be held, the details of which are set out below:
- Tuesday 21st May 2024 6pm to 8pm - Boreland Village Hall
What we will do?
We will consult by:
- Providing a notice of the consultation and a summary of the proposal to the relevant consulteesthis is that notice and summary
- Placing an advert in the local press
- Putting information on our website - www.dumgal.gov.uk/consultations
- Holding a public meeting to explain the proposal
- Ask all consultees to tell us what they think of the proposal
What to do now?
- Please read the full proposal document
- Please attend the public meeting which will be held on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at 6pm in Boreland Village Hall
- Let us know what you think by 5pm on Friday 7 June 2024
Proposal paper
View the proposal document for the review of Hutton Primary School below:
Complete the online survey
Click the link below to complete the online consultation survey:
Letter to:
Statutory Consultation - Hutton Primary School
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Militia House
109/111 English Street
DG1 2HR
Email to: statutoryconsultation@dumgal.gov.uk
Respondents are required to clearly state the capacity in which they are expressing their views and agree to their name and any statement/comments being published as part of the Statutory Consultation process and published in the final Consultation Report (all other personal information will be redacted).
Following the close of the consultation, Dumfries and Galloway Council will provide Education Scotland with copies of the written representations submitted, a summary of the oral representations made at the public meeting and any other relevant documentation. This will allow Education Scotland to prepare a report on the proposal within a period of three weeks.
After receiving Education Scotland's report, Dumfries and Galloway Council will then prepare and publish a Consultation Report in accordance with Sections 9, 10 and 13 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended. Dumfries and Galloway Council Education and Learning Committee on 10 October 2024 will thereafter make its final decision on whether to implement the proposal. The decision will be made a minimum of three weeks after publication of the Consultation Report.
If Education and Learning Committee makes a closure decision, Dumfries and Galloway Council shall notify the Scottish Ministers within six working days of that decision and publish the fact that the Scottish Ministers have been notified, and that representations can be made to them. The Education Authority would also be required to publish a notice on its website of the decision to implement the proposal and why it has been satisfied that closure is the most appropriate response to the reasons for formulating the proposal.
Contact details
Statutory Consultation - Hutton Primary School
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Militia House
109/111 English Street
DG1 2HR
E-mail: statutoryconsultation@dumgal.gov.uk
Key dates
Statutory Consultation Period: Wednesday 24 April - Friday 7 June 2024
All written responses must be received by the last day of the consultation period, Friday 7 June 2024 at 5pm.
