Published on:
27
November 2009
The Scottish Government recently announced that it would in principle be prepared to provide some funding towards a new building for St John's and Claremont Primary Schools in Clackmannanshire.
While the Council welcomes potential funding, this project would be entirely dependent on the results of a full consultation with parents and other stakeholders.
Portfolio holder for Inclusion, Councillor George Matchett, said, "We want to find out what sort of building and environment parents and others want for our children. There are advantages to combining the two schools, giving greater flexibility and a wide range of experienced teachers to call upon, but we want to know what parents think about this."
The next stage is for Councillors to give the go ahead to the consultation process. If this is approved, consultation is likely to begin in January. To move the project on, the Council will consult widely and hold a public meeting, in accordance with legislation. HMIE will be fully involved.
The current buildings of both St John's and Claremont Primary Schools are difficult to adapt to the best learning environment, not in good condition and increasingly expensive to maintain. The Council has been considering options to include them for some time and it is fortuitous that this funding announcement has coincided with the process. We have informed school staff, parents and parent councils of the recent funding announcement and will keep everyone involved fully informed as the consultation progresses.