Headteacher sharing plan condemned by parents

Published on Tuesday 7 April 2009 22:22

PARENTS have expressed anger after it emerged their children's primary school may have to share a headteacher with a bigger school 23 miles away.

Newcastleton in the Borders is one of several primaries affected by moves for shared heads to save money and solve recruitment problems.

Scottish Borders Council hopes it will make the job less stressful by taking teaching responsibilities away, in the wake of the suicide of a headteacher in March last year.

If the plan is approved, Newcastleton will share a headteacher with Stirches Primary in Hawick from August. Parents fear that as the school has just 70 pupils, they may only have a head one or two days a week.

Karen Anderson, a parent, said: "What educational benefit would it bring our children?

"It is an awful road too, mostly single track. On a good day it takes 40 minutes, on a bad day an hour; that's if you can get through at all in winter."

Newcastleton is not the only primary to be facing a sharing arrangement. However, the parents in the Border community believe an exception should be made because of its isolation.

Scottish Borders Council director of education Glenn Rodger said the school would have a permanent deputy.