EXPLORE ABERDEEN

3Rs Project - Consultation

Stakeholder Consultation

Consultation began in earnest in 2003 with a questionnaire sent to more than 6,600 stakeholders and stakeholder groups, including teachers, support staff, officials, community organisations, elected representatives and parents.

A pupil conference was held at Pittodrie football stadium in October 2003 and was attended by pupils from almost every one of the city's schools.

The questionnaire was prepared in collaboration with Professor Paul Spicker of The Robert Gordon University.  View the Consultation Report

Informal Consultation

Informal consultation on the project proposals was conducted during the summer of 2004. Public meetings were held in each community in relation to the proposals for the local school, in order to inform parents and the community and to answer questions.

Statutory Consultation

Statutory Consultation is required under The Education (Publication and Consultation Etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 1981, where there is a proposal to close, combine or relocate a school.

Seven proposals in the 3Rs programme required statutory consultation. Consultation periods were as follows:

25 October 2004 - 21 November 2004

  • Mile End/Beechwood
  • Balgownie/Upper Westfield
  • Bankhead/Marlpool
  • Marchburn/Middlefield/Smithfield
  • Airyhall/Braeside
  • Cults Academy

8 November 2004 - 5 December 2004

  • Abbotswell/Craighill

Proposals for Seaton, Hazlehead and Kaimhill schools do not require a period of statutory consultation.

The proposals, list of meeting dates and links to the information packs which were provided can be viewed here.

The Report submitted to the Education and Leisure Committee following the Statutory Consultation period can be viewed here: Report on the Outcomes of Statutory Consultation

The minutes of the Education and Leisure Committee meeting of the 14 December 2004 can be viewed here.

Scottish Ministers' Approval

Following the period of Statutory Consultation there are occasions where an Application for the Scottish Minister's Consent to School Reorganisation Proposals must be sought.

In summary, approval of the First Minister is required if there are 'proposals to discontinue any school or any stage of school education in any school, or to change the site of any school or to vary the delineated area of any such school, where the number of pupils in attendance at any such school is greater than 80% of that school's pupil capacity, and in the calculation of that pupil capacity regard shall be had to -

(i) the assessment of capacity on which the education authority have based their proposal

(ii) the maximum number of pupils in attendance at the school in any one year in the period of 10 years preceding the proposal; and

(iii) the curriculum of the school's 1988 No. (S.11) Education, Scotland The Education (Publication and Consultation Etc) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1988

Under these terms, applications for Scottish Minister's Approval has been submitted where the proposal affects the following schools:

  • Mile End School: Mile End School is operating at 90% capacity
  • Braeside Nursery Infant School: Braeside School is operating at 98% capacity
  • Cults Academy: Cults Academy is operating at 112% capacity

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