Primaries face class size crisis

Published on Wednesday 23 March 2011 11:31

PARENTS have been warned they will struggle to get their children into the most popular primary schools this year amid rising pupil numbers and new class size laws.

Education chiefs have already highlighted "accommodation issues" at seven primary schools and say the number of parents being granted places in schools not in their catchment area will fall.

This August will see the implementation of new legislation limiting class sizes in primary one to 25, instead of 30. Some schools will be forced to come up with inventive ways of ensuring they can actually accommodate all of their catchment pupils, such as offering team teaching where two teachers are used in a larger class to provide the legal pupil-teacher ratio. A number of Catholic schools will prioritise baptised Roman Catholic pupils.

Seven schools - including Corstorphine, Towerbank and St Mary's in Leith - have already been warned they will require "careful monitoring" of their numbers to ensure they can accommodate catchment pupils.

In a report, education director Gillian Tee said: "The most significant movement in policy is the legislation passed in October 2010 which implements P1 class sizes of 25 pupils. This legislation gives the council the means to defend appeals and now allows class sizes of 25 to be implemented consistently across the city."

On top of the pressures associated with the new legislation, the number of pupils entering primary one this year is set to rise by just under two per cent.

Figures show there were 4097 P1 registrations as of January, compared with 4027 during the same period last year.

Ms Tee warned that parental choice will be limited this year, compared with last year when class sizes of up to 30 in P1 were permitted by the council.

Previously, the council had tried to cap class sizes at 25 but often failed when parents took their cases to appeal.

She said: "The change in the council's placements policy for August 2010 to allow a class size maximum of 30 resulted in a reduction in non-catchment placing requests being refused.

"It is anticipated that the implementation of a class size maximum of 25 from August will result in the percentage of non-catchment placing requests being refused returning to the levels similar to 2009."

City education leader Marilyne MacLaren added: "New class limits will allow headteachers to ensure pupils get the best possible education in manageable classes."

UNDER PRESSURE

Corstorphine Primary: Has 75 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate a maximum of 60. The city council will prioritise requests for Corstorphine catchment pupils who want to go to a school elsewhere in the city. An extension will be built in 2013.

Stockbridge Primary: Has 36 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate a single P1 class but could accommodate team teaching. The council will prioritise requests for Stockbridge catchment pupils who want to go to a school elsewhere in the city.

St Mary's RC Primary, Leith: Has 65 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate a maximum intake of 35 pupils. Baptised Roman Catholic pupils will be prioritised.

St Catherine's RC Primary, Gracemount: Has 29 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate a single P1 class. The council may introduce a requirement to prioritise baptised Roman Catholic pupils.

St Joseph's RC Primary, Broomhouse: Has 45 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate a maximum of 33 pupils. The council has already requested that the school collects evidence of baptism from its applicants. Councillors recently voted in favour of giving St Joseph's extra classrooms from Broomhouse Primary, with which it shares a campus, to ease the pressures.

St Peter's RC Primary, Morningside: Has 83 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate a maximum of 60 pupils. Baptised Roman Catholic pupils will be prioritised and the council will prioritise requests for St Peter's catchment pupils who want to go to a school elsewhere in the city.

Towerbank Primary, Portobello: Has 94 registered catchment pupils and can accommodate 90 pupils. An annexe building will be used to support P1 intakes and an extension will be built in 2013.