Crossroads Primary School to be mothballed

CROSSROADS Primary School, located just outside of Keith, is set to be mothballed.

Members of Moray Council's Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee agreed to mothball the school on September 28 but notification of the decision was withheld until after the Buckie by-election, in line with pre-election period protocols.

The school is set to be mothballed on January 9 next year with the current catchment, following consultation with parents, set to be temporarily re-zoned to one of the adjacent schools.

An assessment of the school, which is part of the Keith Associated School Group, was triggered in May this year when the school roll had fallen to ten.

That figure has since fallen to five following the return to school in August.

The decision to mothball the school will be reviewed in April 2023 and an update will be provided to the Education, Children’s and Leisure Service Committee.

Any potential formal closure of the school would need Moray Council to carry out a statutory public consultation in line with the terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

Councillor Kathleen Robertson, Chair of the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, said: "Any decisions taken around the future of a school are to support the best educational and social outcomes for the children and young people currently attending the school, as well as those who may attend in the future.

“We monitor our school rolls regularly and at particular points, for example, enrolment periods; when the roll has a downward trend; and when the roll is increasing and this impacts on staffing levels.”

Councillors also agreed on the process of future mothballing of primary schools. Should the school roll fall to less than 15 pupils, an operational assessment of the current situation will be triggered.

This will include an assessment of the impact on the community, local schools, current users of the building and the school roll forecast, as well as formal consultation meetings with parents/carers.

Following this initial assessment, the Head of Education will be responsible for making a decision to commence the mothballing process.

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