School campus plan group meeting ends in 'chaos'
CONTROVERSIAL plans to link together five north Sutherland schools and form a “3-18” campus, are in disarray, it has emerged.
A meeting of a transition group set up to oversee the move to a single management structure controlling all five schools, ended in “meltdown”, the Northern Times has been told.
Parents at the meeting accused Highland Council officials of contravening schools’ legislation by failing to properly consult them over the far-reaching change.
North education chief Barry Northedge is understood to have walked out 20 minutes after the meeting started, saying there was “no point in continuing”.
He has now cancelled further meetings of the group.
The campus proposal was first floated in 2014 and initially involved Farr High School forming a link or “cluster” with three primary schools and nurseries at Melvich, Farr and Tongue. The primary at Altnaharra was later added to the mix.
The so-called “3-18 campus” would be the largest of its kind in the Highlands. The schools involved have a combined roll of 172 and are spread by road over a 37-mile area.
Essentially the linkage means all five schools will be governed by a single management team.
Education chiefs favour the scheme in the hope that it will solve difficulties in recruiting and retaining head teachers and principal teachers to tiny, rural schools.
Under the new regime there would be no teaching heads.
A similar campus is proposed on the east coast involving Dornoch Academy, Dornoch Primary and Bonar Bridge Primary, and a transition group has also been set up there. The move is proving relatively straightforward.
But parents on the north coast have not been so amenable.
Parent councils at all but one of the schools involved voted in 2015 to reject the scheme. Tongue did not take part in the vote.
Concerns were also expressed by Bettyhill, Strathnaver and Altnaharra community councils.
Parent councils are unhappy at the size of the geographical area involved and also say previous cluster arrangements have not worked.
Despite the opposition, parents were told in May that the campus plan was to go ahead with the date for implementation likely to be some time next year.
A transition group was set up with the remit to oversee the introduction of the new campus. Group members included representatives of all the parent councils involved, community councils and teaching staff. A programme of monthly meetings at different north coast venues was scheduled.
But trouble flared at the group’s second meeting in Melvich on September 19, attended by Barry Northedge, north quality improvement officer.
According to the minutes of the meeting, it was pointed out that under the Schools Act 2010 the authority should have carried out a six-week consultation but this had not taken place.
Mr Northedge responded that parent councils had been given the opportunity to consult with parents at the various schools but he was told it was the authority’s responsibility.
Melvich Community Council secretary Sarah Kerr, who was at the meeting, said later: “Parent council representatives wanted a more detailed plan of what was actually going to happen and how it was going to work.
“Barry Northedge was asked repeatedly what the benefits would be for the children but did not give one single sensible answer. There was a sense that parents do not feel their views have been taken into consideration.”
Within 20 minutes Mr Northedge had walked out of the meeting. He later sent an email to group members stating: “I see no point in continuing the Transition Group meetings at the moment as there is clearly no agreement on the way forward for the Farr associated schools group.
“I will be in touch to arrange the next meeting when appropriate.”
Melvich Parent Council chairwoman Tina Wrighton was not at the meeting but has been closely involved in the issue.
She said: “It is just a farce and the proposal is now at a standstill until they come back to us. Highland Council has got to go back to the drawing board.”
North, west and central Sutherland councillor Linda Munro backs the campus plan but said the council must work in partnership with the communities.
She said: “I know the meeting with Barry Northedge went into meltdown and that parents told him the consultation process had not been followed.” East Sutherland and Edderton councillor Graham Phillips has become involved in the issue as chairman of the Sutherland councillors.
He warned that Highland Council had considered closing up to 41 small schools before coming up with the campus idea.
He said: “The schools on the north coast are the kind of schools that could have been in the firing line. But officials came up with these plans and I think it is a much better way of going about it.
“If people brought goodwill to the table, you could tease out something that could work very well. This is a way of spreading resources so schools can be kept open.”
Highland Council denied the north coast campus plan had stalled.
A spokesman said: “We will continue to try to engage with the communities in shaping the new management structure in the Farr High School Associated School Group.
“This may be through the transitions group or it may be through other means.”
