www.SaveOurSchools.org.uk

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council

2010-03-16T10:08:00.005Z

We have a new home on the web:
http://TowerlandsPC.webs.com

All relevant information North Ayrshire Council release through their website relating to the school amalgamations (2010) can be found by clicking here.

Towerlands NOT to Close!!!

2008-04-30T06:24:00.004Z

Towerlands is SAVED!!!

Towerlands Primary School was saved from closure yesterday (29th April 2008) in a landslide victory for our campaign.

Twenty NAC councillors out of thirty (two thirds) voted to retain Towerlands Primary School at the full council meeting held in Council Chambers.

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council would like to thank everyone who took part in our campaign, helping us to achieve this tremendous result...THANK YOU!!!

More details to follow... :D

Our Campaign Hits the Front Pages

2008-04-24T07:22:00.003Z

Our campaign has hit the front page of the the local newspaper with the following story:

Irvine Herald Newspaper and Website 23rd April 2008 'North Ayrshire Schools Latest: One open, one shut', written by Eric McGowen

..."Towerlands could still escape the chop after Labour councillors Tom Barr and John Moffat announced they would vote to keep the school when the proposals go to the full council next week.

Lib Dem councillor Ruby Kirkwood also expressed her intention to vote to keep the school and if the SNP stick to their earlier vow to back protestors, Towerlands could yet survive."

Click HERE to read the full story!!!

We were also in the Irvine Herald with the following story:

Irvine Herald Newspaper and Website 23rd April 2008 'Towerlands: Votes plea to councillors', written by Eric McGowen

""TOWERLANDS protesters this week urged councillors to put party politics to one side and vote with their conscience at next week’s crunch meeting of the full council.

Campaigners remained in bullish mood on Tuesday despite the bitter blow of the Education Executive’s recommendation to close the school in August 2009 and amalgamate it with neighbouring Fencedyke and Broomlands Primaries.

Chris Archer, of the school’s parent council, said he expected the executive to push through the recommendation and claimed he still had faith in councillors to overturn the move.

His hopes have been boosted by support pledged from Labour councillors Tom Barr and John Moffat, Liberal Democrat Ruby Kirkwood and the SNP.""

Click HERE to read the full story!!!

Outcome of Education Executive Meeting – 22nd April 2008

2008-04-23T12:27:00.003Z

Yesterday, 22nd April, the Education Executive at North Ayrshire Council decided to uphold the Education Department’s recommendation to amalgamate Towerlands, Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools, which would result in Towerlands closing in August 2009.

Although this news is disheartening, the decision is NOT final and the fight is NOT over yet!!! We, the Parent Council, are confident that we can have the decision overturned at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 29th April 2008 (next week).

Even if Full Council decides on closure, our case will still be referred to the Scottish Government for a fully final decision...

We may be down, but we’re NOT out !!!

Full details of the Full Council meeting can be found HERE, or on the Dates for Your Diary !!! page

Consultation Period Finished - Outcome to be Decided

2008-03-30T10:10:00.003Z

The consultation period has ended!!

We would like to offer a big Thank You!! to all who helped and supported our campaign.

We have submitted our objections to the proposal; held a very successful 'drive-slow' demonstration; submitted comments from our online and written petitions; featured in the local news on many occassions; have submitted our concerns about NAC's lack of regard for Article 8 of the Human Rights Act; have gained the support of the National Deaf Children's Society; and have had lots of help along the way from local residents, businesses and politicians.

We must now await a decision from NAC, and Councillors, who will ultimately take the next steps in deciding the fate of our school.

There will be a Special Meeting of the Education Executive - School Estates Review on Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at 11:15am; delegations from the Parent Councils most affected by the proposals will have an opportunity to address the Education Executive and present comments and observations on the proposal at 10:00am.

Any upcoming events/meetings will be posted on the Dates for Your Diary !!! page.

NAC Breaches Human Rights?

2008-03-30T08:59:00.001Z

According to the under noted, NAC must ensure they show ‘justification’ for the interference in the private lives of citizens under Article 8 of the Human Right Act 1998; at no time in the Proposal to Amalgamate Towerlands Primary School with Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools have NAC done so.

Costly legal action is a real possibility if the proposal is approved and parents/carers, and/or children, decide they want their human rights enforced; NAC must explain how it would deal with such an outcome and what potential costs are involved.

“A guide to the Human Rights Act 1998: Third Edition”, pages 21 & 22; Department for Constitutional Affairs, [Web] http://www.dca.gov.uk/peoples-rights/human-rights/pdf/act-studyguide.pdf, [Last Accessed 17 March 2008].

Article 8: Private life and family

3.68 You have the right to respect for your private and family life, your home and your correspondence. Article 8 is an example of a qualified right in the ECHR. This means that there is a framework in place against which any interference with your rights by the state must be judged to see if it is acceptable.

What does private life cover?

3.69 The concept of “private life” is broad. In general, your right to a private life means that you have the right to live your own life with such personal privacy as is reasonable in a democratic society, taking into account the rights and freedoms of others. Any interference with your body or the way you live your life needs to be justified. Your Article 8 rights include matters of self determination that may include, for example:
• freedom to choose your sexual identity
• freedom to choose how you look and dress
• freedom from intrusion by the media.

3.70 Your right to private life can also include the right to have information about you, such as official records, photographs, letters, diaries and medical information, kept private and confidential. Unless there is a very good reason, public authorities should not collect or use information like this; if they do, they need to make sure the information is accurate.61

3.71 Article 8 places limits on the extent to which a public authority can do things which invade your privacy about your body without your permission. This can include activities such as taking blood samples and performing body searches.62

3.72 In some circumstances, the state must take positive steps to prevent intrusions into your privacy by other people. For example, the state may be required to take action to protect individuals from serious pollution where it is seriously affecting their lives.63

What does family life cover?

3.73 Your right to respect for family life includes the right to have family relationships recognised by the law. It also includes the right for a family to live together and enjoy each other’s company. Unmarried mothers are always covered by “family”; foster families may be.

What does respect for my home cover?

3.74 You have the right to enjoy living in your home without public authorities intruding or preventing you from entering it or living in it. You also have the right to enjoy your home peacefully. This may mean, for example, that the state has to take action so that you can peacefully enjoy your home, for example, to reduce aircraft noise or to prevent serious environmental pollution. Your “home” may include your place of business. You don’t have to own your home to enjoy these rights.
What about correspondence?

3.75 Again, the definition of “correspondence” is broad, and can include communication by letter, telephone, fax or email.

Can a public authority interfere with my Article 8 rights?

3.76 Yes. But it would have to be shown that: the interference had a clear legal basis; the aim of the interference was either national security, public safety, protection of the economy, prevention of crime, the protection of health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others; it was necessary (and not just reasonable) to interfere with your rights for one of the permitted reasons; and that the interference was proportionate, going only as far as was required to meet the aim.

3.77 Before taking decisions affecting people’s rights under Article 8, a public authority will have to weigh all the competing interests carefully so as to justify any interference.

Natioanl Deaf Childrens' Society Hits Out at NAC's Proposal

2008-03-30T08:16:00.010Z

The National Deaf Children's Society (NDSC) have added their voice to Towerlands' SaveOurSchool canpaign with their response to the proposal, submitted on the final day of consultation ; text from their submission is below:

Re: Proposed Closure of Towerlands Primary School and Hearing Impaired Unit

The National Deaf Children’s Society, as the national charity representing the interests of deaf children and their families in Scotland, has been approached by a number of parents of deaf children in Ayrshire regarding the proposed closure of the hearing impaired unit at Towerlands Primary School, Irvine.

I understand that under proposals currently being considered by North Ayrshire Council, there is a recommendation that Towerlands Primary School, with its associated specialist Hearing Impaired Unit (HIU), should be amalgamated with Fencedyke and Broomlands Primary schools.

I am sure you will appreciate that parents of deaf children who attend the specialist unit are extremely concerned and anxious at this proposal and the impact that this may have on the quality of the education experience for their child.

Parents tell us that the HIU at Towerlands Primary School is an integrated part of the school, resulting in an extremely deaf friendly ethos throughout, with hearing members of staff and pupils alike employing a positive and inclusive attitude to deafness.

As a result, deaf pupils feel included, and their peers and teachers at all stages of the school are able to communicate effectively with them.

It is of some considerable concern to NDCS that these children will be entering a new environment where existing pupils and staff will not have the same levels of deaf awareness and communication skills, and we share the concern of parents that this could lead to deaf pupils becoming isolated and, indeed, disadvantaged in accessing the wider curriculum.

Should the merger go ahead, NDCS Scotland, on behalf of parents of deaf pupils currently attending Towerlands Primary School, would therefore ask that the following issues are given urgent priority before any deaf child moves to the new school:

--- That the accommodation identified for the HIU at either Fencedyke or Broomlands Primary is equal to that currently used at Towerlands Primary School. That is, three dedicated rooms: one for primary 1-3 children, one for the upper school, and one sound-proofed room for visiting audiologists and speech and language therapists working with deaf pupils.

--- That the entire school environment in the receiving institution (i.e. either Fencedyke or Broomlands) is appropriately modified to meet the needs of deaf pupils before the merger goes ahead. That is, adaptations such as carpets in all classrooms, the installation of blackout blinds, loops systems and soundfield systems, must be completed before deaf pupils attend the school, and that deaf awareness training also be delivered to all members of staff and ideally classes.

--- That parents of deaf pupils are engaged at every stage on the proposals for the merger, the results of this consultation, and the next steps.

I am sure that you will be aware of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act as amended in 2005 to create Disability Equality Scheme Action Plans for any proposed change to education services, and I would therefore also request a copy of this in relation to the proposed merger for our records.

I know that you will share my desire for quality education provision for all deaf pupils in North Ayrshire. NDCS believes that, unless appropriate action is taken to ensure that any new home for the HIU in North Ayrshire can provide support at the same level as current provision from the moment that pupils are transferred as a minimum requirement of the merger, then the proposed closure of Towerlands Primary School will have a significant detrimental impact on deaf pupils.

As you may be aware, NDCS produces a wide range of training materials for schools in creating deaf friendly environments with appropriate acoustics suitable for the education of deaf pupils, and we have recently published a document in partnership with HMIE, Count Us In, which aims to promote excellence in deaf mainstream education. If your authority would like further details on these training materials and guidance, or if you would like to meet to discuss the issues raised in this letter, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Towerlands Hits the Headlines Again!!!

2008-03-13T18:57:00.008Z

The Towerlands SaveOurSchool campaign has featured heavily in both local newspapers this week in the following articles:

"Politicians call for rethink on schools"
"Report"
"Schools out as pupils protest over closures"
"Irvine is brought to a standstill"
"Research should not be up to the parents"

Click here to read articles in full!

Say NO! to closure!

Drive-Slow Procession - HUGE Success!!!

2008-03-10T10:53:00.006Z

Click Here to read the 'Full Story'!!!

'Towerlands Against Closure' - The Full Report!!!

2008-03-10T10:50:00.001Z

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council have today (5th March) submitted their written opposition to the proposed amalgamation of Towerlands Primary School with Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools. Mr Jim Leckie from North Ayrshire Council Educational Services was presented with the report, "Towerlands Against Closure", outside of Council Chambers in Cunningham House, Irvine.

Click here to read the full report!!!

Say NO! to closure!
Dates for Your Diary !!!

'Drive-'Slow Procession a HUGE Success!!!

2008-03-10T06:08:00.014Z

The drive-slow procession arranged by Towerlands, Springside and John Galt Primary Schools was a huge success with in excess of 80 cars joining in for the day. From Towerlands we had around 50 children, which equates to around one third of Towerlands' school kids walking out, effectively, on strike.

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council had already set aside the 7th of March to carry out some form of demonstration, so as soon as the Springside Committee contacted us to ask if we would like to join forces and pull off one huge act of defiance, we gladly put this date forward and joined forces with them and John Galt to organise the 'Drive-slow' Procession.

We discussed and agreed the format and route for the procession then applied for a licence through the Townhouse; after some intense negotiations with NAC Roads Department and Strathclyde Police, at Perceton House, amendments to the proposed route were made and the procession was given the go-ahead.

After the route was agreed the work really began with issuing permission slips to see how many parents would permit their children to walk out of school in protest, and we had to determine how many cars would be attending, making sure everyone was allocated a seat. Then the fun part, preparing vehicles with balloons; this was an immense amount of fun and know that all the children who took part had a great time preparing their own vehicles.

It was then time to leave school; our Head Teacher, Mrs White, kindly split the children into car-groups for us, and the parent/responsible adult signed to say they had received the children that they expected to. This was cross referred with the permission slips to ensure the school knew the whereabouts of every child.

We then lined up in Heatherstane Way ready for Springside to appear over the horizon; we were stunned when they arrived with a procession as long as ours. The combined length of the procession, including John Galt, was around 80 cars and we could never have imagined the full effect of the procession as a whole. At it's longest point the procession must have been in the region of half a mile long.

The response from the public was outstanding; car drivers who were held up at junctions were waving and tooting their horns; the staff from shops in High Street were out in force, clapping and cheering; there was even some shock on the faces of some of those we passed, probably at the sheer scale of what we, the 3 schools together, had created. In addition to this, the press photographers were out in force with their cameras, so we should be popping into a newspaper near you soon :D

NAC cannot ignore the strong feelings for our schools and communities, and the public support, that was on show at the demonstration; to do so would be to ignore our schools and communities altogether!!!

A huge thank you is given to all who helped with preparations, and most importantly, to those who turned out on the day...THANK YOU!!

Say NO! to closure!
Dates for Your Diary !!!

'Drive-Slow' Demonstration Coming to Irvine Town Centre

2008-03-05T11:20:00.000Z

After some tense negotiations with NAC Roads Department and Strathclyde Police on Thursday last week, we can confirm that the route for the 'Drive-Slow' procession, on 7th March , has been finalised. We have had to make some compromises, in that, the procession will now only pass Cunningham House once instead of twice, and that the procession will form up on Compton Way in North Newmoor Industrial Estate. However, we negotiated hard and the finalised route will take the procession straight through High Street North; due to pedestrian safety concerns, the procession must move at walking pace or slower in High Street.

If you are attending this event and need further details, contact us!!!

Finalised Route:

Springside leaves down Main Street, right down hill to Towerlands Road where they will meet procession at Towerlands Rd/Heatherstane Way junction (1:40pm). Will then head along Towerlands Road onto roundabout where we will take 2nd exit into Industrial Estate. Top of hill turn left, bottom of hill turn right and at end of the road turn right onto Compton Way where we will assemble behind Police motorcycles (1:50pm). The procession will then leave from here at slow speed (police say 20mph), onto Stanecastle roundabout taking 1st exit onto Manson Road and then straight down Bank Street. We will then turn left onto East Road then right at roundabout through Irvine Cross and straight up High Street onto Eglinton Street (Turf Corner) to Kilwinning Road. We will turn left at the first set of lights onto Marress Road and onto Marress Roundabout, taking 3rd exit towards Asda. After passing the Train station and turning left at the mini roundabout, heading in front of the multi-story car park, the Police escort will leave us and the procession is to disperse (appx 2:40pm).

Towerlands Against Closure - Report - 5th March 2008

2008-03-05T06:25:00.010Z

“Towerlands Primary School Parent Council’s response to North Ayrshire Council’s Proposal to Amalgamate Towerlands Primary School with Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools”

Researched by:
Towerlands Primary School Parent Council

Compiled and written by:
Christopher M. Archer
(Chairperson Towerlands Primary School Parent Council)

Date: 5th March 2008

Executive Summary

This report was commissioned by Towerlands Primary School Parent Council to examine the Proposed Amalgamation of Towerlands Primary School with Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools, and to form a case for non-closure based on the available evidence.

The report was extensively researched using North Ayrshire Council’s own plan, guidance issued by the Scottish Government and North Ayrshire Council’s responses to questions that Towerlands primary School Parent Council raised. These questions cover the main areas contained in this report and form its backbone, in conjunction with the researched Government guidance.

The report finds that NAC’s proposal has:

· Produced Inaccurate Financial Calculations
· Used Inaccurate Statistical Calculations
· Failed to show an Educational Benefit
· Failed to show a Social or Welfare Benefit
· Failed to consider Social Inclusion
· Failed to show a Community Benefit
· Failed to identify Alternate Uses
· Failed to adhere to Scottish Government Guidelines
· Failed to prove an Environmental Benefit

The report recommends that:

- - - Towerlands Primary School not be closed; the areas highlighted by this report have not been satisfactorily explained or addressed by NAC.
- - - Towerlands Primary School should not be considered for closure in the future unless all areas highlighted in this report are satisfactorily addressed, and a proposal that clearly demonstrates an educational, social, welfare and financial benefit is produced.

Say NO! to Closures

1. Introduction & Terms of Reference

This report was commissioned by Towerlands Primary School Parent Council to examine North Ayrshire Council’s proposal to amalgamate Towerlands Primary School with Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools, and to form a case for non-closure based on the available evidence. It is worthy of note that Annex D to this report contains an appendix (Appendix 1 to Annex D) which sets out reviewed questions that required answering by North Ayrshire Council, but never were. The report will be approximately 5000 words in length and will be submitted no later than 17th March 2008; the report will produce conclusions and recommendations.

2. The Proposal Document

Serious concerns that the proposal document (Annex A) issued by North Ayrshire Council (NAC), proposing the closure of Towerlands Primary School, is fatally flawed; brief details are below, and further explanation will be found in the remainder of this document:

a. In Section 2.1 it is clearly stated that “Increasing educational achievement” is a key priority; however, at no time in the proposal document does it clearly state how this will be achieved. This area is discussed in more detail in the remainder of this document.

b. In Section 2.3 NAC state that “Maintaining surplus places in schools is clearly not and effective use of the limited resources”, however, alternate uses, or ways to prevent population decline have not been considered as part of the proposal.

c. Statistics are un-sourced, therefore, cannot be relied upon.

d. In Section 4.1 NAC state “There are two options available to the Council”. However, Towerlands Primary School is the only school being considered for closure. Section 4.2 gives the reason to this as building works would cost more to repair Towerlands than the other schools; which is most probably accurate, however, as Towerlands Primary School is twice the size of Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools, this is to be expected.

e. Financial calculations are vague and are highly questionable; figures are estimated and full details have not been provided to interested parties. Broomlands Primary School is shown to have one Deputy Head teacher, when in fact it currently does not; this changes the final financial calculations.

f. Appendices 1 and 3 contain maps of catchment areas which are unreadable.

3. Educational Case

a. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop, issued guidance to Local Authorities in October of 2007, Annex B, which refers to the ‘Additional Guidance On Local Authority Proposals For The School Estate, Including School Closures’ (Annex C); it clearly states: “In the opening part of paragraph 27 and in part (a) thereof, there is reference to the need for your Council to set out the educational advantages of the proposed closure. This is critically important not only for those directly or indirectly affected, but also in the context for instance of your authority's duty to secure improvement in the quality of education provided in schools”.

North Ayrshire Council have failed in their duty to adhere to these guidelines as noted in their response to questions (Annex D), where NAC clearly state, “this proposal was not based on educational criteria but came about as a result of falling school rolls and the requirement to make best use of resources in the educational interests of all children”; this is a blatant admission that education is not a key priority in the proposal. However, more concerning is that NAC have also failed to clearly demonstrate how they will achieve the said best use of resources; there are no financial figures for, or details of, any additional resources.

b. NAC’s response to the issue of class sizes (Annex D) is confusing, or downright untrue; they say in their response when asked: “if schools are closed with kids crammed into the remaining schools, it would prove very difficult for North Ayrshire Council (NAC) to achieve smaller class sizes due to restrictions on space. What plans are in place to deal with this issue?”
NAC’s response is that there will be money in the capital budget to alter schools if required. This is not an efficient use of taxpayers’ money, as the facilities are already in place to reduce class sizes; the capital money that NAC speak of could be used to fix the current schools.

c. Towerlands has both a separate dining and gym hall so that the pupils, including the nursery, can have the Governments recommended P.E. time per week. This will not be possible if the amalgamation is approved, unless additional facilities are going to be put in place
NAC’s response (Annex D) that “If the outcome results in the amalgamations preceding then the ability of the school to deliver PE will be assessed by the Quality Improvement Service and any shortfall addressed via the Council’s capital programme” is again, unacceptable. These facilities are already in place with the current set-up of schools; an indication of wasting taxpayers’ money, by needing to ‘rebuild’ facilities.

Say NO! to Closures

4. Hearing Impairment Unit

The Hearing Impairment Unit (HIU) at Towerlands Primary School is an integrated part of the school and is held in very high regard; the Children at Towerlands benefit from the HIU immensely; learning first-hand about disability, equality and social inclusion, in addition learning sign language. Although the HIU is a separate entity, the children that attend it are part of Towerlands Primary School.

NAC have been asked about the impact on those children with hearing impairments if the proposals are approved details from Annex D are below:

a. “Moving the hearing impairment unit from Towerlands Primary to a different school will result in placing those children into an environment where they will be unable to communicate effectively with pupils and staff”. NAC’s response was that “If the amalgamation goes ahead these issues would be priorities for the transition planning group”. This is an unacceptable answer; this should be an issue that is addressed before any decision to close be made.

b. It was put to NAC that “Children with additional learning needs require routine and stability; closing Towerlands will disrupt the routine and stability that those children currently benefit from”. NAC responded by saying that “Staff from the HI Base will remain consistent. Any transition will be managed carefully through the individual child’s Individual Education Programme. In consultation with parents and staff from the school and other agencies, any resources or adaptations will be put in place to ensure consistency in educational experience”.
Particular attention is drawn to the “to ensure consistency in educational experience” statement. As previously noted, the children from the HIU are an integrated part of Towerlands and have friends at the school; there is no reference to the social implications for those children attending the HIU.

c. Costing for the installation of disabled facilities were provided by NAC; these show that the £45,770 already spent would be wasted if the proposal were approved.

5. Nursery Provision

Details were given in the proposal document (Annex A) that the nursery facility will be relocated to Fencedyke Primary School, however, in NAC’s response to our questions (Annex D) they clearly state “future nursery provision can only be considered after an agreement has been reached”; these are conflicting statements. NAC is saying in one document that the nursery facility will move, and then it says it hasn’t been decided.

More concerning is NAC statement “There are also other partner providers in the local area who provide nursery education in partnership with the Council including Annick Pre-School, Bright Beginnings, First Steps and Towerlands Farm. There are sufficient places for all nursery aged children in the area”. This gives the impression that although NAC have said the nursery will move to Fencedyke, there is the implication that it may not be replaced at all, and that NAC may need to pay private nurseries for the use of their services to cater for any shortfall of spaces.

Say NO! to Closures

6. Safety

Issues were raised with NAC regarding the safety of children walking an increased distance to school, their response (Annex D) stated “Educational Services comply with the Road Safety Officers decision in relation to safe walking routes and either fund safety measures to improve the walking route or provide transport to those children affected”. Again NAC have no clear plans and are promising to spend more money on this issue. One the proposal’s priorities is “Using our resources more efficiently and effectively”; this priority has been breached as no detailed financial calculations are shown for this area.

7. Transport

The issue that “Parents will be more likely to then drive their children to and from school if these proposals are approved; neither Broomlands nor Fencedyke Primaries have the surrounding road infrastructure to cope with a significant increase in vehicular traffic” was raised with NAC (Annex D); their response states “Educational Services has an established Traffic Management at Schools group which comprises Elected Members and officers from Educational Services, Roads and Technical Services. This group surveys the situation at schools and, with technical advice, agrees improvements. The work of the group is support by an on-going capital fund”. This is evidence that there are no clear plans to deal with this issue and that NAC are promising to spend even more money if it is required, which it will be if the proposal is approved; again, not an effective or efficient use of resources.

The issue of providing free transport for displaced nursery children was also raised; NAC stated (Annex D) “The council’s transport policy provides free nursery transport only in cases where there is no nursery provision within 5 miles”. This is an admission that transport for displaced nursery children will not be provided.

8. Occupancy Levels

a. NAC were asked (Annex D) about the facilities in the new “Dalry Primary School, which has classrooms 'dedicated' to particular subjects, which it can be argued, are 'empty'”, and were asked if these facilities would be placed in all schools. NAC explained how the new school was funded, but they also stated that “However this is not mandatory and schools do vary in their facilities”. Towerlands Primary already has the space to accommodate such an investment; NAC are demonstrating that they are not putting the education of children before their goal of saving money.

b. NAC were asked (Annex D) “How will reduced internal or external space benefit the children of Fencedyke Primary, or indeed, any of the affected schools?”, to which they responded with, “how this can be achieved is a matter for discussion with the relevant parties should the proposal proceed”; this does not answer the original question, therefore it is argued that there is no benefit to the children.

c. NAC were asked at the public meeting in Towerlands Primary School on 18th February 2008, how the measurements at Broomlands Primary School that determine the capacity of each classroom were carried out. They told those present that the rooms were measured from wall to wall, as was the case when the school was first built; this however, does not take into account the fitted wall units that have subsequently been installed since the school was built. As a result, the internal floor space is reduced by approximately 5 square meters per room; therefore, the capacity of Broomlands Primary School that NAC state (Annex A) is not accurate.

Say NO! to Closures

9. Impact on the Community

a. NAC were asked (Annex D) “why would it be beneficial to break the community links and bonds” that have taken around 35 years to form in the Broomlands and Bourtreehill areas. The response was mixed as they state they “The Council has a duty to seek the most efficient way of delivering service to the community”, which is perfectly acceptable; however, as has been previously shown, NAC are failing at this by producing a consultation that has not been properly researched.

b. The community of Broomlands and Bourtreehill do not want the distribution of local schools to change, and 1,800 (approximately; final numbers to be confirmed) people have raised their objection to the proposal (Annex A) by placing their written signature, to support the non-closure of Towerlands Primary School, on a written petition; at the time of writing the online petition set up by Towerlands Primary School Parent Council, stands at 308 signatures. Both petitions will be submitted to NAC on 17th March 2008, when the final number of signatories will be confirmed.

10. Psychological and Physiological Impact

a. NAC do not agree with the claims by Towerlands Primary Parent Council (Annex D), that mental anguish will be prevalent if proposals are approved, but have said that “If the decision is made to close the school transition planning will take into account the individual needs of children who may be vulnerable”; again, this is an issue that should be investigated before any decision to close Towerlands Primary School is approved.

b. NAC have been asked to provide details (Annex D) about “what consideration has been given to the physiological aspects of the children’s' welfare?” NAC have responded (AnnexD) by stating “Consideration has to be given and additional input will be provided to health education and social and personal development programmes. The school nurse and the Home School Inclusion Worker and Psychological Services will provide both general and focussed support as required”.

This however, should be done prior to any decision being taken to ensure any additional resources that may be required, are available, and can be added into the proposal costs.

11. Environmental Factors

It was asked of NAC to provide detailed carbon emissions for the proposal, but they failed to provide full details (Annex D & Appendix 1 to Annex D), therefore an environmental argument cannot be made either way; a demonstration of NAC’s lax figures and statistics.

12. Cost of Uniforms

It was raised (Annex D) that “Some families who are not entitled to help with clothing costs will be left financially disadvantaged by the amalgamation; parents have raised concerns that their children’s' school sweatshirts have been specifically purchased to enable their children to 'grow into them', and last two years”; would these parents be entitled to financial compensation or free sweatshirts?

NAC states (Annex D) that this “will be part of the transition planning and discussion should the merger go ahead”; again NAC have failed to show the full costs of the proposal, or, they have no intention of compensating individuals.

Say NO! to Closures

13. Staffing

a. Future staffing levels were provided by NAC (Annex D); they clearly show a reduction in Teaching Assistant time; larger class sizes in the amalgamated schools will not have the same ratio of teaching assistants to children that they currently have. More children and less teaching assistants; this appears to be a demonstration of an efficiency saving, but should be viewed as direct cut to frontline services.

Reducing Teaching Assistant hours could also force some of those affected to seek alternate employment; effectively this could be viewed as constructive dismissal.

b. NAC have stated (Annex D) that “Catering and cleaning staff will be included fully in all discussions regarding redeployment. Educational Services will liaise closely with Property Services in this regard”. This could in turn lead to redundancies if the companies that those staff are employed by cannot find redeployment opportunities for them. This could also be construed as a form of constructive dismissal.

14. Population Decline

North Ayrshire Council have failed in their duty to adhere to the “Letter issued regarding school closures guidance” (Annex B), written by the Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop, in which she states “your Council can sometimes take positive action, or encourage or support the taking of action by others, to influence directly the projections and trends - for instance to seek to slow, halt or even reverse the decline in a community's population”.
NAC were asked the following (Annex D) in relation to a block of flats near Towerlands Primary School that have lain empty for almost ten years: “Has consideration been given to refurbishing local properties to prevent a decline in population numbers, and if not, why not?” They clearly stated that “This is not a matter dealt with by Educational Services”.

However, as the refurbishment of the particular flats in question would directly impact on the provision of education in the local area, it is a matter that the education department should take into consideration; this demonstrates that NAC have not fully researched their proposal and taken all necessary aspects into consideration.

15. Financial Aspects

NAC were asked to provide “a full and detailed breakdown of all financial aspects of the proposal” (Annex D); a partial breakdown of ‘predicted’ budgets was produced, which contained no sourcing or reasoning. NAC have failed to fully explain the financial aspects of the proposal; there are estimated figures for the capital receipt from the sale of land and for the provision of transport for displaced children. In addition to this, NAC have consistently stated that additional money will be spent to provide additional facilities if the proposals are approved. None of this additional spending is detailed in any of the financials that NAC have produced, and many of the facilities NAC say they will expand, are currently in place with the current set-up of schools.

This is in breach of the guidance issued by The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Annex B), in which it is stated “The way in which the financial considerations are calculated and set out needs to made absolutely clear to all parties”; the financial aspects of the proposal have not been made absolutely clear to Towerlands Primary School Parent Council.

Say NO! to Closures

16. Alternate Uses

It was raised (Annex D) that “There is scope to extend nursery services, install community clubs/organisations, or locate adult learning centres in school buildings. Have any of the aforementioned, or others, been considered as alternate uses for the building; if not, why not?”

NAC responded (Annex D) with “there are limited services which can be located in schools and no immediate need has been identified”. NAC have failed to answer satisfactorily; to identify an immediate need, NAC would need to actually try and identify that need, which in this instance appears not to have been done.

17. Council Plan 2007 – 2010

NAC’s Council Plan 2007 – 2010 (Annex E) highlights some key areas that must be given consideration before any decision to close Towerlands Primary School is made:

a. Section 3 - Demographics – “New house building within the Irvine/Kilwinning area and the Garnock Valley will continue to attract inward migration. This has a number of consequences. It strengthens our communities and increases the Council Tax base, but places increased demands on the road infrastructure, schools and other support services”; a prime reason for not closing schools.

b. Section 3 – Financial Outlook – “we must be effective (achieve what we set out to do), efficient (deliver as much as we can with our limited resources) and economic (control our costs)”. By closing Towerlands Primary School NAC will be wasting money already spent and will then have to extend the remaining schools, which would be a further waste at taxpayers money. This, in addition, to the weak financial case NAC have already put forward (Annex A).

c. Section 4 – 2.1. Increasing Educational Achievement – “improving educational buildings”; some schools are mentioned in this section, but not any of those involved with the proposal to close Towerlands Primary School; this creates the presumption that the promised additional facilities offered by NAC (Annexes A & D) for Broomlands and Fencedyke Primaries may not be installed at all.

d. Section 4 – 7.3. Promoting Healthier and more Active Communities – “so that all of our services increase their contribution to the community’s health and wellbeing over the next three years”. Closing Towerlands Primary School will result in mental anguish for lots of parent, carers, and children; this is not a good way to promote health and well being as it is a proven fact that poor mental health and poor physical health are closely linked.

e. Section 4 – 7.4(e). “Develop, promote and support community sports clubs”; NAC have made no attempt to determine whether there could be a need for such a facility in the Broomlands and Bourtreehill areas of Irvine (Annex D).

f. Section 9 – 4.0 “Promote closer relationship between Community Learning & Development and colleges to offer improved range of learning opportunities to enable progression to Further and Higher Education”; such a facility could be installed in Towerlands Primary School.

g. Section 11 – 1.0 “Using our resources more efficiently & effectively” – “Set - and stay within - budgets in a way that ensures effective frontline delivery of Council Services, the reduction of overhead costs”; it would appear these areas are to be satisfied by selling off schools and the land on which they sit. A more practical, and socially acceptable option, would be to make savings at the mid and top management levels, not by cutting the frontline services that so many people rely on.

h. Section 11 – 10.0 “Collaborate with Community Planning partners to sustain public access to ICT and associated support and learning”; this again, has not been considered (Annex D) as an alternative option, and such a facility could viably be placed in Towerlands Primary School.

i. Section 11 – 21.0 “Carry out a review of the school estate in the context of falling school rolls”; the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning stated in a recent news release (Annex F) that “primary school numbers are also forecast to fall until 2014, before rising again, which will further enable national and local government to deliver year on year progress in reducing class sizes in primaries 1-3”. Schools roles may well be falling, therefore, the additional space required is currently available; it is not beneficial to the taxpayer for NAC to remove these facilities and then have to spend even more public money replacing them.

j. Appendix to Council Plan 2007 – 2010 (Annex E): North Ayrshire (NA) Facts and Figures:

i. Population – 24% of NA is under the age of 20, with Irvine noted as one of the areas “that have higher proportions of young people”; it is not appropriate to close schools in such and area.

ii. Lone Parents Households – NA has a greater number of lone parent households (8.6% of NA) compared to the Scottish average (6.9%); to remove frontline services for those who need them most would send the wrong message to the wider community about how NAC cares for its most vulnerable members of society.

iii. Deprivation Zones – One fifth of NA is ranked amongst the top 20% of the most deprived areas of Scotland; to take frontline services away from those that need it most will not assist NAC in reducing these deprivation figures.

iv. Unemployment and Educational Attainment Levels – 4.25% of NA’s population are unemployed compared to the Scottish average of 2.6%; in some areas of NA this figure is 8.7%. Also, 36.9% of NA’s population have no formal qualifications compared to the Scottish average of 33.2%. By installing community based learning facilities in school buildings both Unemployment and Educational Attainment statistics could be dramatically reduced; this in turn would result in deprivation reduction due to the increased employability of residents, resulting in a higher standard of living on uptake of employment.

Say NO! to Closures

18. Conclusions

a. The Proposal DocumentThis report has raised serious concerns that the proposal document (Annex A) issued by NAC, proposing the closure of Towerlands Primary School is fatally flawed. It fails to meet its own objectives; fails to show any educational advantage; fails to show an accurate financial and statistical case; and, in general, is poorly written.

b. Educational CaseNAC have failed in their duty to adhere to guidance for Local Authorities, regarding school closures, issued in October of 2007 (Annex B), by not setting out a clear educational case.

c. Hearing Impairment Unit

i. The Hearing Impairment Unit (HIU) at Towerlands Primary School is an integrated part of the school and is held in very high regard; the children at Towerlands benefit from the HIU immensely; learning first-hand about disability, equality and social inclusion, in addition learning sign language. Although the HIU is a separate entity, the children that attend it are part of Towerlands Primary School.

ii. No consideration to the children’s social welfare has been given.

iii. Money for facilities already installed would be wasted.

d. Nursery Provision

NAC have produced conflicting accounts on the future of nursery Provision, saying in one document that it will be relocated and then in another indicating that it may not be replaced at all, leaving the taxpayer to pay for private subsidisation.

e. SafetyNAC have stated that additional funding will be made available to tackle any safety issues, but again, have provided no details of what funding is available and how that would be spent.

f. Transport

i. There is evidence that NAC have no clear plans to deal with the issue of transport and that they are promising to spend even more money if it is required, which will be the case if the proposal is approved; this is not an effective or efficient use of resources.

ii. NAC admit that transport for displaced nursery children will not be provided.

g. Occupancy Levels

i. NAC does not aim to provide the same high-standard facilities that Dalry Primary enjoys in all schools.

ii. NAC have failed to demonstrate how reduced internal or external space will benefit the children affected; this report concludes that there is no benefit.

iii. The capacity of Broomlands Primary School that NAC state (Annex A) is incorrect. The rooms at Broomlands Primary School were measured from wall to wall, as was the case when the school was first built; this however, does not take into account the fitted wall units that have subsequently been fitted since the school was built. As a result, the internal floor space is reduced by approximately 5 square meters per room, thus reducing the available space to accommodate children.

h. Impact on the Community

i. NAC have failed in their duty to seek the most efficient way of delivering service to the community by producing a consultation that has not been properly researched.
ii. Approximately 2,100 (to date) parents, carers and local residents have signed a petition backing the non-closure of Towerlands Primary School.

i. Psychological and Physiological Impact

NAC do not agree with the claims by Towerlands Primary Parent Council (Annex D), that mental anguish will be prevalent if proposals are approved; this should be investigated further before any decision to close Towerlands Primary School is ratified to ensure the health and wellbeing of the children concerned is not adversely affected. Detailed financial costs for this were not included in the proposal document.

j. Environmental FactorsNAC’s proposal (Annex A) has failed to demonstrate an environmental benefit.

k. Cost of Uniforms NAC have failed to show the full costs of providing free or subsidised uniforms to those that the proposal affects; it is possible that NAC have no intention of compensating individuals.

l. Staffing

i. NAC’s proposal clearly show a reduction in Teaching Assistant time; larger class sizes in the amalgamated schools will not have the same ratio of teaching assistants to children that they currently have. More children and less teaching assistants; this appears to be a demonstration of an efficiency saving, but should be viewed as direct cut to frontline services.

ii. Complex legal issues could arise due to redundancies if staff cannot find redeployment opportunities; costs, or even an estimated cost, for such an eventuality have not been shown.

m. Population DeclineNAC have failed to adhere to Scottish Government guidance on the school closures in relation to population decline, and have made no attempt at considering ways to slow, stop, or even reverse the decline in population in the Broomlands and Bourtreehill areas or Irvine.

n. Financial AspectsNAC have consistently failed to set out a clear financial case for closure:

i. Savings that would be achieved are negligible.

ii. Financial calculations are estimated.

iii. Costs for additional infrastructure changes and additional services (i.e. health, social services, policing) that may be required are not detailed in the proposal. This report concludes there will be a greater cost to the taxpayer than is being presented by NAC.

iv. Money for facilities already installed would be wasted.

o. Alternate UsesThis report highlights many alternate uses for Towerlands Primary School which have not been considered as part of the proposal (Annex A). It also highlights NAC’s failure to identify alternate uses for the building.

p. Council Plan 2007 – 2010There are many key areas highlighted by this report, in NAC’s 2007 – 2010 Plan (Annex E), that must be given consideration before any decision to close Towerlands Primary School is approved; additional facilities that NAC state will be introduced, in their plan, could viably be installed in Towerlands Primary School. The wider socioeconomic implications have not been taken into consideration and should be researched in detail before any decision to close be approved.

Say NO! to Closures

19. Recommendations

This report recommends that:

a. Towerlands Primary School not be closed; the areas highlighted by this report have not been satisfactorily explained or addressed by NAC.

b. Towerlands Primary School should not be considered for closure in the future unless all areas highlighted in this report are satisfactorily addressed, and a proposal that clearly demonstrates an educational, social, welfare and financial benefit is produced.

Say NO! to Closures

SNP Join Fight to Save School

2008-02-27T09:59:00.008Z

Over the weekend, and in a press release to local newspapers, Councillor Joan Sturgeon has confirmed that she has persuaded her SNP colleagues that Towerlands Primary School should not be closed; they have agreed to join the fight to save Towerlands.

Kevin Dyson, of the Irvine Times, reported the facts with the headline "SNP join fight to save school", on Wednesday 27th February 2008 [page 2]:

Nationalist Councillors have agreed to fight to keep Towerlands Primary School open. Joan Sturgeon, the SNP councillor for Irvine East, told the Times she had persuaded her colleagues that the proposed closure should not go ahead. The group have now agreed to fight to save both Towerlands and Springside schools.

Cllr. Sturgeon said ""Over the last few months, it has been clear to me that the community interest in Towerlands, Bourtreehill and Broomlands would not be best served by this closure"" (click here to read the full article)

Dates for Your Diary!!!

Dates for Your Diary

2008-02-24T08:00:00.013Z

29 April
On Tuesday 22nd April, the Education Executive at North Ayrshire Council decided to uphold the Education Department’s recommendation to amalgamate Towerlands, Broomlands and Fencedyke Primary Schools, which would result in Towerlands closing in August 2009.

Although this news is disheartening, the decision is NOT final and the fight is NOT over yet!!! We, the Parent Council, are confident that we can have the decision overturned at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 29th April 2008 @ 2pm. The Parent Council will be providing free transport, which will leave from Towerlands at 1:15pm and will return to the school at the end of the meeting (approximately 3:30pm).

We may be down, but we’re NOT out !!!

Children are allowed into the Council Chambers, so can attend with parents/carers if you want them to come along. Please remember this meeting is a formal affair and as such, children who attend with parents/carers will be required to remain seated and as quiet as possible at all times for the duration of the meeting.

Parents should be aware that taking their child out of school will result in an unauthorised absence, but this is your LAST CHANCE TO SAVE TOWERLANDS, and we hope you will attend with, or without, your child(ren) to support the school when we need you most.

If you are attending or need free transport, please contact us (before Tuesday 29th) by email, or telephone, to let us know:

Tel: 01294 234 764 (Trisha) or 01294 232 158 (Chris) or 01294 213 727 (Mary-Ann)

Email: info@saveourschools.org.uk

COME ALONG AND HELP SAVE TOWERLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

The usual Council insurance will not cover adults or children for the duration of the ‘trip’ as it is not an educational event organised by the school. It is each parent’s own responsibility to look after their own child(ren) and must inform the school if their child will be absent.

Towerlands in the News

2008-02-22T10:07:00.014Z

The Towerlands SaveOurSchools campaign will be keeping a record of news articles that feature the fight to save Towerlands Primary School. We have been featured in the following articles:

Irvine Herald Newspaper and Website 23rd April 2008 'Towerlands: Votes plea to councillors', written by Eric McGowen

""TOWERLANDS protesters this week urged councillors to put party politics to one side and vote with their conscience at next week’s crunch meeting of the full council.

Campaigners remained in bullish mood on Tuesday despite the bitter blow of the Education Executive’s recommendation to close the school in August 2009 and amalgamate it with neighbouring Fencedyke and Broomlands Primaries.

Chris Archer, of the school’s parent council, said he expected the executive to push through the recommendation and claimed he still had faith in councillors to overturn the move.

His hopes have been boosted by support pledged from Labour councillors Tom Barr and John Moffat, Liberal Democrat Ruby Kirkwood and the SNP.""

Click HERE to read the full story!!!

Irvine Herald Newspaper and Website 23rd April 2008 'North Ayrshire Schools Latest: One open, one shut', written by Eric McGowen

..."Towerlands could still escape the chop after Labour councillors Tom Barr and John Moffat announced they would vote to keep the school when the proposals go to the full council next week.

Lib Dem councillor Ruby Kirkwood also expressed her intention to vote to keep the school and if the SNP stick to their earlier vow to back protestors, Towerlands could yet survive."

Click HERE to read the full story!!!

Irvine Herald Newspaper, 14 March 2008 [Page 2], "Politicians call for rethink on schools", written by Lex Brown

(click article above to read story in full)

Irvine Herald Newspaper, 14 March 2008 [Page 3], "Report"

(click article above to read story in full)

Irvine Herald Newspaper, 14 March 2008 [Page 5], "Schools out as pupils protest over closures"

(click article above to read story in full)

Irvine Times Newspaper, 12 March 2008 [Pages 4 & 5], "Irvine is brought to a standstill"; written by Kevin Dyson

(click article above to read story in full)

Irvine Times Newspaper, 20 February 2008 [page 23], "Research should not be up to the parents"; written by Kevin Dyson

(click article above to read story in full)

Kevin Dyson, Irvine Times, reported "SNP join fight to save school", Wednesday 27th February 2008 [page 2]:

Nationalist Councillors have agreed to fight to keep Towerlands Primary School open. Joan Sturgeon, the SNP councillor for Irvine East, told the Times she had persuaded her colleagues that the proposed closure should not go ahead. The group have now agreed to fight to save both Towerlands and Springside schools.

Cllr. Sturgeon said "Over the last few months, it has been clear to me that the community interest in Towerlands, Bourtreehill and Broomlands would not be best served by this closure. I believe that there have been many valid points made in representations from parents, pupils and the wider community, and it is gratifying that my fellow SNP councillors agree with me".

Chris Archer, Chair of Towerlands Parent Council, said: "This is great news for Towerlands and demonstrates that there definitely are others out there who can see NAC have not properly thought through their consultation paper, and have not proven an educational, social or financial case. Everyone associated with Towerlands is very grateful for the support the SNP councillors have shown us; a particular 'thank you' must be give to Joan Sturgeon for the help and advice she has given us. Our task is now to convince the rest of the councillors that we have a strong case for non-closure. Our final submission opposing the closure of Towerlands Primary School, as a Parent Council, will be finalised and published in the coming week".

Mr Archer also urged locals to ensure their responses to the consultation arrived with the council by the closing date of March 17. [end]

"Say NO! to Closures"

Irvine Herald Website, 22 February 2008, "Schools out for Ayrshire pupils", written by Eric Gowan

FED-UP parents are set to pull their kids out of three closure-threatened schools as part of a shock protest ahead of “Black Friday.”

The dramatic demonstration will see pupils removed from classrooms to take part in a massive drive-slow procession of decorated vehicles.

Frustrated parents at the schools involved — Springside, Towerlands and John Galt — say the move is a reaction to North Ayrshire Council’s “shambolic” consultation process. (click here to read the full article)

Irvine Herald Newspaper, 22 February 2008 [page 7], "Education chief branded 'clueless' after gaffe"

Parents fighting to save Towerlands Primary School branded education chief Carol Kirk 'clueless' after she made and embarrassing gaffe at a packed public meeting on Monday night. Director of Education Mrs Kirk - facing Towerlands parents for the first time - was asked what Fencedyke Primary had that Towerlands didn't. She answered "space", despite Towerlands being twice the size of Fencedyke. Parents were also left raging at the director of education's failure to answer several key questions.

The meeting held at the school, was attended by over 100 angry parents, with around ten of North Ayrshire's councillors in attendance.

Chris Archer, Chairman of Towerlands Parent Council, said: "On more than one occasion the room erupted in laughter at some of the answers offered". "Mrs kirk is the director of education and yet she simply did not know the size of the schools affected". "How are parents supposed to take the council's proposal seriously when the person in charge comes away with stuff like that?". "A lot of our questions were not answered, with Mrs Kirk left to turn helplessly to Jim Leckie. It's not good enough, but it's what we've come to expect throughout the consultation process." [end]

Irvine Times Newspaper, 20 February 2008 [page 2], "TOWERLANDS PARENTS HIT OUT AT PLANS, School Closure Process 'null & void'?"; written by Kevin Dyson.

Angry Towerlands Parents have called on planned closures to be scrapped after Education chief Carol Kirk admitted that they were unlikely to meet the deadlines set out in the consultation documents.

Mrs kirk told a meeting with parents at Towerlands primary that she felt the process could "take some time" and would be unlikely to happen before the summer. Towerlands Parent Council Chair Chris Archer asked her: "If you can't make the dates set out in the proposals surely the consultation can be done away with now as it is null and void".

Parents voiced their anger at the consultation process, claiming that the education of their children was being ignored and that NAC was failing to take their views into account. Others claimed that the effect on their children being forced to move into new, strange surroundings would be damaging, adding that they wanted the best education for their children.

Mrs Kirk was pulled up on one comment, when she answered a young pupil's question with the response that the plans would improve his education. One angry parent told us: "It was a disgrace to claim that the education at Towerlands isn't good enough".

However, Mrs kirk told the meeting that she had "a responsibility to look after the education of children all across North Ayrshire". She said that she didn't want to close any schools but said that it was her responsibility to look at the bigger picture to use the money for education for the greatest benefit to children across the are.

Mr Archer told us after the meeting: "They still didn't answer our questions and couldn't answer the questions. They don't know their stuff and that is concerning. The support at the meeting confirmed what I knew all along, that the people of Towerlands care about the school". [end]

Organisations to Thank

2008-02-19T07:30:00.017Z

The Towerlands SaveOurSchools campaign would like to thank the following organisations for their ongoing support:

Irvine Times
We would like to thank the Irvine Times for their continued support, and positive coverage, of our campaign; a special thanks goes to Kevin Dyson.
Irvine Herald
We would like to thank the Irvine Herald for their coverage of the school closures and exposure they have provided us with.
Signs Express
Signs Express made our two, 3 metre-long, 'Save Towerlands Primary School' banners and helped with the cost.
Towerlands Stores
We would like to thank Towerlands Stores for allowing us to use their counter to get written petition signatures, displaying posters, and distributing campaign leaflets. Tel: 01294 212662
Co-op Foodstores
Thanks to the Co-op at the Village Centre, Bourtreehill for allowing us to use their store to display posters and get signatures for our written petition. Tel: 01294 214848
W.W Wales Ltd - Butchers
Thanks to W.W Wales Ltd butchers at the Village Centre, Bourtreehill for allowing us to use their counter to get signatures for our written petition and for allowing us to display posters. Tel: 01294 215574
Brownings the Bakers Ltd
Thanks to Brownings the Bakers Ltd at the Village Centre, Bourtreehill for allowing us to display posters and use their counter to get signatures for our written petition. Tel: 01294 213765
Russell Hair
Thanks to Russell Hair at the Village Centre, Bourtreehill for allowing us to use their salon to display posters and get signatures for our written petition. Tel: 01294 216164
Age Concern
Thanks to Age Concern at the Village Centre, Bourtreehill for allowing us to display posters and use their counter to get signatures for our written petition. Tel: 01294 212354
Local Councillors
Our thanks go to all local councillors who have attended our meetings and have listned to our concerns; a special thanks goes to the SNP group who have now given us their full support, and in particular, a very special thanks goes to Councillor Joan Sturgeon.
Solidarity Party Members
Our thanks go Solidarity Party members who helped with our initial leaflet drop and lent us a loud hailer to publicise events; a particular thanks is given to Danny McGregor.
Barbers, Dreghorn
We would also like to thank the Barbers on the Main Street in Dreghorn for displaying campaign posters.
Towerlands Farm Community Centre
We would like to thank Towerlands Farm Community Centre for displaying campaign posters. Tel: 01294 211 374
Brian Donohoe MP
We would like Brian Donohoe for his continued support; for staging the initial round of talks between the Parents Councils and NAC and also for pressurising NAC to produce responses to questions submitted by the Parent Councils.
Strathclyde Police
We would like to thank Stratclyde Police for compromising on the Drive-Slow Procession route, allowing us to straight through the town centre, and for policing the event, closing off junctions and ensuring the procession progressed unimpeded.
National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS)
We would like to thank the NDCS for their hard-hitting submission to NAC on the last day of consultation; thank you!!!
Irene Oldfather MSP
We would like to thank Irene Oldfather MSP for her continued public show of concern over the proposal's lack of proper research, and for highlighting the importance of future house building plans in North Ayrshire.
Springside SaveOurSchool Committee
Our thanks is given to the Springside SaveourSchool Committee for their continued support, and for banding together with us and john Galt Primary Parent Council to pull off the massively successful 'drive-slow' demonstration; a special thanks is given to Maureen Hulbert (Chairperson of Springside Primary School Parent Council) and David Clark (Springside Campaign Committee & Website Editor), their support has been immense.
ALL Parents/Carers from, and Friends of, Towerlands Primary School
We cannot thank the Parents/Carers from, and Friends of, Towerlands Primary School enough; the hard work and effort they put in undoubtedly helped make our campaign a strong one...THANK YOU!!!
Councillors Tom Barr, John Moffat and Ruby Kirkwood
All three councillors named above have pledged their support for our campaign and have stated publicly that they will vote to SAVE Towerlands Primary School.

If we have missed anyone off the list, please contact us so they can be added.

Say NO! to Closure

Dates for your Diary!

PUBLIC MEETING - Monday 18th February 2008

2008-02-14T06:25:00.014Z

Public Meeting

Towerlands Primary School
(Heatherstane Way, Bourtreehill, Irvine, Ka11 1DY)

Monday 18th February 2008 ... @ 7pm

Towerlands Primary School need your support; please come along to the public meeting with Carol Kirk (Corporate Director of Education Services), NAC Executives and Local Councillors.

Come along, show your support for the children and communities of Bourtreehill and Broomlands

Don't miss this opportunity to make yourself heard!

The Proposal to Close Towerlands Primary School and Amalgamate with Broomlands and Fencedyke Primaries:

· Has NOT been Properly Researched
· Is NOT based on Educational Criteria
· Fails to achieve it’s own aims
· Is based on Misleading Financial and Statistical Calculations
· Breaches Scottish Government Guidance on School Closures

It will mean:

· Larger Class Sizes
· Less Teachers
· Less Teaching Assistants
· Cramped Classrooms
· Increased Traffic
· Falling House Prices

Say NO! to closure!

Dates for Your Diary !!!

Towerlands Primary School NOT to Close This Term - OUTCOME of Campaign Meeting - 11/02/2008

2008-02-12T08:26:00.003Z

Councillors Joan Sturgeon and Tom Barr attended the meeting with Towerlands Primary School parents/carers on Monday 11 th February 2008; apologies were accepted for Councillors Ruby Kirkwood and John Moffat.

The meeting was opened with a breakdown of the main points of NAC's proposal to close Towerlands Primary School; those are, that it:

· Has NOT been Properly Researched
· Is NOT based on Educational Criteria
· Fails to achieve its own aims
· Is based on Misleading Financial and Statistical Calculations
· Breaches Scottish Government Guidance on School Closures

It will mean:

· Larger Class Sizes
· Less Teachers
· Less Teaching Assistants
· Increased Traffic
· Cramped Classrooms

Councillor Sturgeon stated that she is "opposed" to the closure and said that there is no educational benefit to the children whatsoever. She stated that if Towerlands Primary School were to close then NAC would struggle to reduce class sizes to 18 for P1-P3 over the next four years, and that larger class sizes was just "not an option"; it would be "crazy" to amalgamate the schools. She also agreed that NAC have NOT proven a financial case and will be using this a part of her argument to gain the backing of the SNP group to prevent the closure of Towerlands.

Councillor Tom Barr outlined the consultation timeline and made it absolutely clear that even if the proposal was agreed by full council, the closure of Towerlands and amalgamation of Broomlands and Fencdyke, "would not be ready for August". He stated that the proposal could not be implemented straight away as any decision taken to close would need to be passed to the Scottish Government for Ministerial Consent; he said the average timescale for the Scottish Government to make a decision on an issue such as this is approximately 9 months, therefore Towerlands Primary School will NOT be closed at the end of term.

Parents/carers were then given a breakdown of the activities that Towerlands Primary Shcool Parent Council have taken part in so far, and the future plans to highlight the plight of the school. Parents/carers were also given a brief list of tasks that each of them need to carry out to assist us in helping to save Towerlands Primary School.

However, the Towerlands SaveOurSchools campaign is not going to become complacent; we are now looking forward to the public meeting with NAC Education Executives on Monday the 18th February, in Towerlands Primary School @ 7pm.

Campaign Meeting - Monday 11th February 2008

2008-02-11T06:40:00.000Z

There will be a campaign meeting for all Parents, Carers and Families of children at Towerlands Primary School in the Baptist Church, Broomlands, Irvine @ 7pm on Monday 11th February 2008.

Please come along for a campaign update and to air your concerns to the local councillors that will be in attendance...show your support for
Towerlands Primary School!!!

NAC Budget

2008-02-08T06:34:00.000Z

NAC have relesed their annual budget; particular attention is drawn to Appendix 2, Page 9, where it is clearly shown that the amount of money saved by amalgamating 'all' schools currently under threat will only be £168, 000.

The largest savings in relation to school amalgamations is a "Reduction in Teacher Staffing" and "Reduction in Classroom Assistants" (claerly labeled as such in the budget); as Towerlands Primary School Parent Council have said all along, NAC will save approximately £63,000 'running costs' if Towerlands Primary were to close; any additional savings are a result of cutting teaching staff.

The proposal would result in larger class sizes and a reduction in teaching staff; no consideration has been given to the childrens' education or welfare.

Say NO! to Closures

2008-01-30T06:19:00.007Z

The consultaion period is now finished; no more submissions will be accepted by NAC!!!

We must now wait for NAC and our local Councillors to make a decision.

Check out the Dates for Your Diary!!! page for more information.

NAC's response to Incorrect Questions!!!

2008-01-29T05:25:00.001Z

Click on the thumbnails below to see NAC's response to the wrong set of questions raised by Towerlands Primary School Parent Council!

Page 1 / Page 2 / Page 3 / Page 4

Page 5 / Page 6 / Page 7

These questions are in December's draft format and NOT those submitted through Brian Donohoe MP in January 2008; although the questions are not too dissimilar from those submitted in January, there are 'vital' aspects missing. We emailed the correct questions directly to Carol Kirk, Director of Education Services @ NAC, but still no response.

Proposed Closure of Towerlands Primary School Issues Requiring Further Explanation - CONTENTS

2008-01-18T09:17:00.000Z

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council have submitted detailed questions to Mr Brian Donohoe MP, for him to have answered by NAC, by the deadline date of Friday 25th January 2008; answers provided, or nil-responses, will form the basis of our argument against the closure of Towerlands Primary School.

To view the detailed questions from the 16 key areas covered, click on the links below:

Proposed Closure of Towerlands Primary School Issues Requiring Further Explanation- Part 1 of 3

2008-01-18T09:16:00.001Z

1. Hearing Impairment Unit

a. Moving the hearing impairment unit from Towerlands Primary to a different school will result in placing those children into an environment where they will be unable to communicate effectively with pupils and staff; children (from age 3 at nursery) and staff at Towerlands Primary learn sign language and are able to communicate with those children at school who have hearing impairments. Children and staff at Fencedyke Primary have very little knowledge, if any at all, of sign language; what plans are in place to address this?

b. Children with additional learning needs require routine and stability; closing Towerlands will disrupt the routine and stability that those children currently benefit from. What plans are in place to address this issue?

c. Towerlands is fully equipped for disabled access, including, a wheelchair lift, fire alarm system for deaf blind pupils and staff, specially designed floor surfaces and specific blinds throughout to cater for the visually impaired. Please give a detailed breakdown of the total cost of installing all equipment for the disabled in Towerlands Primary, and the cost of installing the same facilities at any new location.

2. Nursery provision

a. Where will alternate facilities be located?
b. Can the nursery at Towerlands Primary School be extended, and if so, has this been considered, if not, why not?

3. Safety

Towerlands Road has a 40mph limit and a main bus route runs through the housing estates. North Ayrshire Council’s own Road Safety Officer states “that 1 child in every 19 is likely to be involved in a road accident by the time they reach school leaving age”. By increasing the distance the children need to travel it is likely they are being placed, potentially, in more danger. What measures will be taken to address this issue?

4. Educational Case

a. The educational benefit must be clearly stated and a benefit to the childrens’ education must be shown. Some members of the panel at the meeting with Mr Brian Donohoe, 7th December 2007, were unaware that each school has an ‘Educational Suitability’ Rating as well as a ‘Condition’ Rating (physical condition of the building); only the Condition Rating was taken into consideration by the School Estate Review Group. Will the Educational Suitability rating be taken into consideration? Will displaced children be moved into a school with a higher rating, if not, is there actually an Educational Benefit? Please provide full details of the Educational Benefit to children involved, including full details of new resources that will be made available, and, where and how those resources will be used?

b. Class Sizes

(i). The Scottish Government’s plans to reduce the class sizes to 18 must be a major influence; if schools are closed with kids crammed into the remaining schools, it would prove very difficult for North Ayrshire Council (NAC) to achieve smaller class sizes due to restrictions on space. What plans are in place to deal with this issue?

(ii). Larger class sizes have been proven to be detrimental to the education of children in the early years; even one extra child per class will contribute to larger class sizes. Will the new classes be ‘exactly’ the same size, or smaller under the proposed changes?

c. Broomlands and Fencedyke Primaries have gym halls which double as dining halls; Towerlands has both a separate dining and gym hall so that the pupils, including the nursery, can have the Governments recommended P.E. time per week. This will not be possible if the amalgamation is approved, unless additional facilities are going to be put in place. What plans, if any, are there to provide this facility in the amalgamated schools?

Proposed Closure of Towerlands Primary School Issues Requiring Further Explanation- Part 2 of 3

2008-01-18T09:14:00.000Z

5. Transport

a. Parents will be more likely to drive their children to and from school if these proposals are approved; neither Broomlands nor Fencedyke Primaries have the surrounding road infrastructure to cope with a significant increase in vehicular traffic. What measures are in place to deal with this?

b. Will buses be provided for displaced Nursery children, and if so, will those buses be free and fitted with seatbelts?

6. Occupancy Levels

a. It is detailed on the Scottish Executive website that there are several ways to measure School Occupancy. The number of children that the school “can” accommodate is only one of these methods. Towerlands only have the recommended number of teachers and non-teaching staff. Many of Towerlands’ classes are full and children cannot join; is this possible if the school is under occupied?

b. Dalry Primary School, as we are aware, have classrooms ‘dedicated’ to particular subjects, which it can be argued, are ‘empty’; are there plans to provided similar facilities in all schools, and if so, how would this be achieved given the reduced space available in amalgamated schools?

c. There is no Nursery facility at Fencedyke Primary; to build this as an extension to the school will take away valuable playground/playing field space, and to convert existing classrooms would result in less space to accommodate the increased numbers of children in primaries 1-7. How will reduced internal or external space benefit the children of Fencedyke Primary, or indeed, any of the affected schools?

7. Parent Council & Parent Forum

Towerlands Primary has been fantastically supported by parents and staff over the years; within the last 6 years the Parent Associations have donated approximately £13,000 to the school. Much of the money donated has bought equipment for the school and purchased items that the school could not afford. Will this equipment be split proportionately between Broomlands and Fencedyke, to benefit the children it was donated for, if the proposals are approved?

8. Impact on the Community

The Broomlands and Bourtreehill areas of Irvine were built approximately 35 years ago. At that time the area was only a collection of empty buildings that were filled with people from all over the West of Scotland; these people didn’t know each other and most were just random strangers. It has taken 35 years to build a community in this area of Irvine, with the primary schools forming its heart; why would it be beneficial to break the community links and bonds that have taken so long to form?

9. Environmental Factors

Increased traffic will cause an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, whilst a reduction in CO2 emissions will be achieved by not heating ‘empty’ rooms. What is the current output of CO2 emissions at Towerlands, Broomlands and Fencedyke Primaries, in tonnes per year, and what are the predicted CO2 emissions from both amalgamated schools and the increased traffic, in tonnes per year?

Proposed Closure of Towerlands Primary School Issues Requiring Further Explanation- Part 3 of 3

2008-01-18T09:13:00.000Z

10. Physiological and Psychological Effects

a. Profound mental anguish will be prevalent amongst both pupils and parents if the proposals are approved; what counselling services are being put in place to deal with this issue, from both the childrens’ and parents’ perspective?

b. Have studies into the levels of bullying at amalgamated schools been carried out? Will there be an increased risk of bullying, and if so, what plans are in place to address this?

c. It is a proven fact that poor mental health often results in poor physical health; what consideration has been given to the physiological aspects of the childrens’ welfare?

d. Will displaced children attending Broomlands Primary be expected to eat their lunch in the Open Area, at tables used for sand/water play, as is the current situation; if so, what are the health and hygiene implications?

e. Have NAC consulted law professionals to gain advice on their legal status in the event the proposals result in civil lawsuits for either physical or mental harm? If so, please give full details, and if not why not?

11. Cost of Uniforms

Some families who are not entitled to help with clothing costs will be left financially disadvantaged by the amalgamation; parents have raised concerns that their childrens’ school sweatshirts have been specifically purchased to enable their children to ‘grow into them’, and last two years. Will these parents be compensated either financially, or, by providing free sweatshirts for any new school that needs to be attended?

12. Staffing

a. What are the implications for all NAC staff currently working at Towerlands?

b. What are the implications for the businesses that provide contracted staff to the schools? Has thought been given to the possibility of redundancies of those individuals working for contractors who will be directly affected by the proposals?

c. What are the current staffing levels (both employed by NAC and those contracted in) for Broomlands, Fencedyke and Towerlands? What will the level of staffing be if the proposals are approved? Please provide detailed financial calculations to enable a cost comparison.

13. Empty Local Authority Housing

Blocks of flats at Towerlands have lain empty for many years (approximately ten years), when in actual fact they could potentially house up to 80, or more, children. This is a prime example of the Secretary for Education’s statement about Councils slowing, stopping, or even reversing the decline in an area’s population. Has consideration been given to refurbishing local properties, or have other measures been considered, to prevent a decline in population numbers; if not, why not?

14. Financial Aspects

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council states that the running cost of Towerlands Primary School’s building last year cost approximately £63,000, but the cost of staffing and resourcing the school was over £500,000. There are issues that arise from this: (1) the salaries for staff will still be required if the school were to close, as they are pro-rata in comparison to the number of children (senior staff wages also rise pro-rata to the number of children in the school), so there would only be a negligible saving, if any at all, in staffing costs (2) NAC proposals show that it would cost £80,000 per year to transport Towerlands Primary School children to their new schools; this would result in an additional cost of £17,000 per year if the school were closed.

Although the nature of the above has been refuted by NAC personnel, if the cost of running the building is offset by the cost of transporting the children, what other areas are going to provide the £176,000 saving that is said will be achieved?

Please provide a full and detailed breakdown of all financial aspects of the proposal.

15. Alternate Uses

There is scope to extend nursery services, install community clubs/organisations, or locate adult learning centres in school buildings. Have any of the aforementioned, or others, been considered as alternate uses for the building; if not, why not?

16. Memorial Garden

“Chloe’s Garden” is a memorial within Towerlands’ grounds to Chloe McEwan, a pupil from Towerlands Primary that sadly passed away some 4 years ago. Her memorial is held in very high regard at Towerlands and helps teach the children about compassion and humility. Is Chloe’s Garden protected by law, and what plans are in place to protect it from decimation should the proposals be approved?

Annex A to TPC/CA dated 15 January 2008

2008-01-15T09:00:00.000Z

Annex A to TPC/CA dated 15 January 2008, Proposed Closure of Towerlands primary School Parent Council – Issues Requiring Further Explanation

Proposed Closure of Towerlands Primary School
Issues Requiring Further Explanation

1. Hearing Impairment Unit

a. Moving the hearing impairment unit from Towerlands Primary to a different school will result in placing those children into an environment where they will be unable to communicate effectively with pupils and staff; children (from age 3 at nursery) and staff at Towerlands Primary learn sign language and are able to communicate with those children at school who have hearing impairments. Children and staff at Fencedyke Primary have very little knowledge, if any at all, of sign language; what plans are in place to address this?

b. Children with additional learning needs require routine and stability; closing Towerlands will disrupt the routine and stability that those children currently benefit from. What plans are in place to address this issue?

c. Towerlands is fully equipped for disabled access, including, a wheelchair lift, fire alarm system for deaf blind pupils and staff, specially designed floor surfaces and specific blinds throughout to cater for the visually impaired. Please give a detailed breakdown of the total cost of installing all equipment for the disabled in Towerlands Primary, and the cost of installing the same facilities at any new location.

2. Nursery provision

a. Where will alternate facilities be located?

b. Can the nursery at Towerlands Primary School be extended, and if so, has this been considered, if not, why not?

3. Safety

Towerlands Road has a 40mph limit and a main bus route runs through the housing estates. North Ayrshire Council’s own Road Safety Officer states “that 1 child in every 19 is likely to be involved in a road accident by the time they reach school leaving age”. By increasing the distance the children need to travel it is likely they are being placed, potentially, in more danger. What measures will be taken to address this issue?

4. Educational Case

a. The educational benefit must be clearly stated and a benefit to the childrens’ education must be shown. Some members of the panel at the meeting with Mr Brian Donohoe, 7th December 2007, were unaware that each school has an ‘Educational Suitability’ Rating as well as a ‘Condition’ Rating (physical condition of the building); only the Condition Rating was taken into consideration by the School Estate Review Group. Will the Educational Suitability rating be taken into consideration? Will displaced children be moved into a school with a higher rating, if not, is there actually an Educational Benefit? Please provide full details of the Educational Benefit to children involved, including full details of new resources that will be made available, and, where and how those resources will be used?

b.Class Sizes

i. The Scottish Government’s plans to reduce the class sizes to 18 must be a major influence; if schools are closed with kids crammed into the remaining schools, it would prove very difficult for North Ayrshire Council (NAC) to achieve smaller class sizes due to restrictions on space. What plans are in place to deal with this issue?

ii. Larger class sizes have been proven to be detrimental to the education of children in the early years; even one extra child per class will contribute to larger class sizes. Will the new classes be ‘exactly’ the same size, or smaller under the proposed changes?

c. Broomlands and Fencedyke Primaries have gym halls which double as dining halls; Towerlands has both a separate dining and gym hall so that the pupils, including the nursery, can have the Governments recommended P.E. time per week. This will not be possible if the amalgamation is approved, unless additional facilities are going to be put in place. What plans, if any, are there to provide this facility in the amalgamated schools?

5. Transport

a. Parents will be more likely to drive their children to and from school if these proposals are approved; neither Broomlands nor Fencedyke Primaries have the surrounding road infrastructure to cope with a significant increase in vehicular traffic. What measures are in place to deal with this?

b. Will buses be provided for displaced Nursery children, and if so, will those buses be free and fitted with seatbelts?

6. Occupancy Levels

a. It is detailed on the Scottish Executive website that there are several ways to measure School Occupancy. The number of children that the school “can” accommodate is only one of these methods. Towerlands only have the recommended number of teachers and non-teaching staff. Many of Towerlands’ classes are full and children cannot join; is this possible if the school is under occupied?

b. Dalry Primary School, as we are aware, have classrooms ‘dedicated’ to particular subjects, which it can be argued, are ‘empty’; are there plans to provided similar facilities in all schools, and if so, how would this be achieved given the reduced space available in amalgamated schools?

c. There is no Nursery facility at Fencedyke Primary; to build this as an extension to the school will take away valuable playground/playing field space, and to convert existing classrooms would result in less space to accommodate the increased numbers of children in primaries 1-7. How will reduced internal or external space benefit the children of Fencedyke Primary, or indeed, any of the affected schools?

7. Parent Council & Parent Forum

Towerlands Primary has been fantastically supported by parents and staff over the years; within the last 6 years the Parent Associations have donated approximately £13,000 to the school. Much of the money donated has bought equipment for the school and purchased items that the school could not afford. Will this equipment be split proportionately between Broomlands and Fencedyke, to benefit the children it was donated for, if the proposals are approved?

8. Impact on the Community

The Broomlands and Bourtreehill areas of Irvine were built approximately 35 years ago. At that time the area was only a collection of empty buildings that were filled with people from all over the West of Scotland; these people didn’t know each other and most were just random strangers. It has taken 35 years to build a community in this area of Irvine, with the primary schools forming its heart; why would it be beneficial to break the community links and bonds that have taken so long to form?

9. Environmental Factors

Increased traffic will cause an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, whilst a reduction in CO2 emissions will be achieved by not heating ‘empty’ rooms. What is the current output of CO2 emissions at Towerlands, Broomlands and Fencedyke Primaries, in tonnes per year, and what are the predicted CO2 emissions from both amalgamated schools and the increased traffic, in tonnes per year?

10. Physiological and Psychological Effects

a. Profound mental anguish will be prevalent amongst both pupils and parents if the proposals are approved; what counselling services are being put in place to deal with this issue, from both the childrens’ and parents’ perspective?

b. Have studies into the levels of bullying at amalgamated schools been carried out? Will there be an increased risk of bullying, and if so, what plans are in place to address this?

c. It is a proven fact that poor mental health often results in poor physical health; what consideration has been given to the physiological aspects of the childrens’ welfare?

d. Will displaced children attending Broomlands Primary be expected to eat their lunch in the Open Area, at tables used for sand/water play, as is the current situation; if so, what are the health and hygiene implications?

e. Have NAC consulted law professionals to gain advice on their legal status in the event the proposals result in civil lawsuits for either physical or mental harm? If so, please give full details, and if not why not?

11. Cost of Uniforms

Some families who are not entitled to help with clothing costs will be left financially disadvantaged by the amalgamation; parents have raised concerns that their childrens’ school sweatshirts have been specifically purchased to enable their children to ‘grow into them’, and last two years. Will these parents be compensated either financially, or, by providing free sweatshirts for any new school that needs to be attended?

12. Staffing

a. What are the implications for all NAC staff currently working at Towerlands?

b. What are the implications for the businesses that provide contracted staff to the schools? Has thought been given to the possibility of redundancies of those individuals working for contractors who will be directly affected by the proposals?

c. What are the current staffing levels (both employed by NAC and those contracted in) for Broomlands, Fencedyke and Towerlands? What will the level of staffing be if the proposals are approved? Please provide detailed financial calculations to enable a cost comparison.

13. Empty Local Authority Housing

Blocks of flats at Towerlands have lain empty for many years (approximately ten years), when in actual fact they could potentially house up to 80, or more, children. This is a prime example of the Secretary for Education’s statement about Councils slowing, stopping, or even reversing the decline in an area’s population. Has consideration been given to refurbishing local properties, or have other measures been considered, to prevent a decline in population numbers; if not, why not?

14. Financial Aspects

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council states that the running cost of Towerlands Primary School’s building last year cost approximately £63,000, but the cost of staffing and resourcing the school was over £500,000. There are issues that arise from this: (1) the salaries for staff will still be required if the school were to close, as they are pro-rata in comparison to the number of children (senior staff wages also rise pro-rata to the number of children in the school), so there would only be a negligible saving, if any at all, in staffing costs (2) NAC proposals show that it would cost £80,000 per year to transport Towerlands Primary School children to their new schools; this would result in an additional cost of £17,000 per year if the school were closed.
Although the nature of the above has been refuted by NAC personnel, if the cost of running the building is offset by the cost of transporting the children, what other areas are going to provide the £176,000 saving that is said will be achieved?
Please provide a full and detailed breakdown of all financial aspects of the proposal.

15. Alternate Uses

There is scope to extend nursery services, install community clubs/organisations, or locate adult learning centres in school buildings. Have any of the aforementioned, or others, been considered as alternate uses for the building; if not, why not?

16. Memorial Garden

“Chloe’s Garden” is a memorial within Towerlands’ grounds to Chloe McEwan, a pupil from Towerlands Primary that sadly passed away some 4 years ago. Her memorial is held in very high regard at Towerlands and helps teach the children about compassion and humility. Is Chloe’s Garden protected by law, and what plans are in place to protect it from decimation should the proposals be approved?

Proposal Documents

2008-01-09T13:32:00.000Z

The consultation documents, proposing the closure of schools, have now been published and can be found by clicking here.

Comments on these documents, and our forthcoming meeting with Brian Donohoe MP on 11th January 2008, will be published in the coming week.

Questions for Mr Brian Donohoe MP

2007-12-23T07:47:00.000Z

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council have submitted a five page document to Mr Donohoe; it details a total of 34 key questions that Mr Donohoe (having given his assurances) will have answered by the time we next meet, on 11th January 2008. The 16 key areas covered are:

Hearing Impairment Unit
Nursery Provision
Safety
Educational Case
Transport
Occupancy Levels
Parent Council/Parent Forum
Impact on the Community
Environmental Factors
Psychological and Physiological Effects
Cost of Uniforms
Staffing
Empty Local Authority Housing
Financial Aspects
Alternate Uses
Memorial Garden

Full details of the questions, and responses, will be published after our next meeting with Mr Donohoe in January 2008.

Outcome of Meeting With Brian Donohoe MP – Friday 7th December 2007

2007-12-10T19:32:00.000Z

The following elected officials were in attendance: Mr Brian Donohoe MP, Mrs Irene Oldfather MSP, Councillor John Bell, Councillor Tom Barr, Councillor Ian Clarkson and Councillor John Moffat.

The following Primary School Parent Councils were represented: Broomlands, Castlepark, John Galt, Springside, Towerlands, and Woodlands

Mr Donohoe opened the meeting by introducing the elected representatives present and giving his view of the proposals, which he had read before the meeting. He raised concerns about the fact the proposals look as if they are based wholly on numbers and statistics, not people or communities.

A summary of some of the main points are listed below:

· Falling school rolls was the main reason NAC have taken steps to propose closures/amalgamations; this contradicts the views of the Secretary for Education, Fiona Hyslop, who says this is an “ideal opportunity” to reduce class sizes.

· The Scottish Government’s plans to reduce the class sizes to 18 must be a major influence; if schools are closed with kids crammed into the remaining schools, it would prove very difficult for NAC to achieve smaller class sizes due to restrictions on space. Mr Donohoe and Mrs Oldfather both praised the Scottish Government’s plans for smaller class sizes. Representatives from Castlepark Primary School raised concerns about large class sizes as they are currently experiencing this; any increase could prove detrimental to the education of their children, as is the case with all schools involved.

· Future planning for houses has not been considered by NAC in making their decisions. There are many ‘talks’ with developers currently underway, with a view to build many more hundreds of houses in and around Irvine itself (as raised by Mr Donohoe and Councillor Clarkson); however, since these ‘talks’ are not full planning applications as yet, they have not been taken into consideration by the School Estate Review Group. Mr Donohoe stressed that this is an area that must be taken into consideration, as to close schools and then dramatically increase the number of households would leave NAC with a problem; they would need to build new schools to cope with this increased demand.

· Mrs Oldfather and Mr Donohoe both raised concerns that the council are only looking ahead to 2011; Mrs Oldfather believed NAC should be looking a minimum of 15 years ahead.

· Councillor Bell told us that NAC’s proposals were purely a “paper exercise” to look at areas where savings could be made; he also said that NAC had looked at the effects the proposals would have on our communities, however, evidence of this was very thin on the ground and even contradicts his previous comment about it being a paper exercise (the School Estate Review Group never actually went to see any of the schools they are proposing to close).

· Councillor Bell could give no guarantees that these proposals would be effective and admitted they were a “best guess” decision; not exactly confidence-boosting for those affected.

· The ‘green issue’ must be taken into consideration; as stated by Mr Donohoe. Councillor Bell said it was ‘not green’ to heat half-empty buildings; Mr Donohoe countered with the fact it was not green to drive children to school, as will inevitably happen if school closures take place.

· Alternative nursery accommodation would need to be found; again, not considered as part of the proposals as no definitive plans have been drawn up.

· The educational case must be clearly stated and a benefit to the childrens’ education must be shown; as noted by Mr Donohoe. Some members of the panel were unaware that each school has an ‘Educational Suitability’ Rating as well as a ‘Condition’ Rating (physical condition of the building); only the Condition Rating was taken into consideration by the School Estate Review Group.

· The financial aspect of the proposals were discussed and it was put forward by Towerlands Primary School Parent Council that the running cost of Towerlands Primary School’s building last year cost approximately £63,000, but the cost of staffing the school was over £500,000. There were three issues that arose from this (1) the salaries for staff will still be required if the school were to close, as they are pro-rata in comparison to the number of children (senior staff wages also rise pro-rata to the number of children in the school), so there would only be a negligible saving, if any at all, in staffing costs (2) NAC proposals clearly show that it would cost £80,000 per year to transport Towerlands Primary School children to their new schools; this would result in an additional cost of £17,000 per year if the school were closed (3) Mr Donohoe was surprised by these figures and stressed that NAC must make the financial implications absolutely clear.

· Empty Council housing was raised as an issue by Councillor Moffat, saying that in every part of the town there are buildings with boarded up, or smashed windows, lying empty. These properties could be refurbished and house many families; a prime example of this would be the block of flats at Towerlands that have lain empty for many years, when in actual fact they could potentially house up to 80 children. This would enable those families to be within touching distance of Towerlands Primary School; a prime example of the Secretary for Education’s statement about Councils slowing, stopping, or even reversing the decline in an area’s population.

· When asked about ‘why’ school buildings were in such disrepair Mr Donohoe told us that there had been massive underinvestment in education for the past 20 years all over the country; unfortunately this is not the fault of the children affected, or their parents.

· Children with additional learning needs who currently attend the affected schools will also need to be taken into account; for example, children (from age 3 at nursery) and staff at Towerlands Primary School learn sign language, and are able to communicate with those children at school who have hearing impairments. To close Towerlands Primary School would mean moving those children into a different school where they would be unable to communicate with the vast majority of pupils and staff who cannot sign.

· Alternate uses have not been properly considered as part of these proposals; there is scope to extend nursery services, install community clubs/organisations, or put adult learning centres in school buildings. All of these options must be ruled out before any decision is made; NAC could be investing in our schools and communities, as opposed to knocking them down and selling off the land to make money.

The meeting was concluded by Mr Donohoe stressing that a rationale must be achieved, and that the Scottish Government’s stance on reduced class sizes must be a key consideration.

All in all, a pleasant meeting that produced not very many concrete answers, but the fact our elected representatives turned out to listen, and even offered their help, should be seen as a positive step in the right direction.

Mr Donohoe will write to all Parent Council members present, setting out the format that he would like us to use when submitting our cases to him. Mr Donohoe has said he will present our cases, and questions, to NAC; he also told us he would have answers to those questions by the time we next meet, on Friday 11th January 2008 at 7pm in Mr Donohoe's constituency office (17 Townhead, Irvine, KA12 0BL).

Information Day - Saturday 8th December 2007

2007-12-08T08:15:00.001Z

Parents who are supporting the drive to 'Save Our Schools' will be out in force today at Bridgegate (Irvine Cross) on Saturday 8th December 2007, between 12 - 2pm. They will be handing out information to the public and raising awareness of NAC's proposed plans to close/amalgamate schools.

Visitors to the site are encourage to check out the links on the right hand side of the page for full details of NAC's proposals.

Keep checking our site for regular updates.

Outcome of Meeting with Brian Donohoe MP - 7th December 2007

2007-12-08T08:15:00.000Z

The meeting with Mr Brain Donohoe MP can be considered a positive step in the right direction; Mr Donohoe and Mrs Irene Oldfather MSP have offered their assistance in presenting the views of all schools in attendance to NAC.

Further details and a summary of the meeting will be posted over the weekend; watch this space.

MEETING with Brian Donohoe MP - 7th December 2007 @7pm

2007-12-03T09:36:00.000Z

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council have arranged a question and answer session with Mr Brian Donohoe MP on Friday 7th December at 7pm, to discuss NAC's proposals to close schools. This meeting will be held in Mr Donohoe’s Constituency Office:

17 Townhead, IRVINE, Ayrshire, KA12 0BL

The following have confirmed their attendance:

Mr Brian Donohoe MP
Mrs Irene Oldfather MSP
Councillor John Bell (Chair, School Estate Review Group)
Councillor Tom Barr
Broomlands Primary School Parent Council
Castlepark Primary School Parent Council
Fencedyke Primary School Parent Council
John Galt Primary School Parent Council
Springside Primary School Parent Council
Towerlands Primary School Parent Council
Woodlands Primary School Parent Council

This meeting is invitation only; the following Parent Council from Mr Donohoe's constituency is still to accept their invitation to have one or two Representatives attend:

Dreghorn Primary School

Please send an email to parentcouncils@saveourschools.org.uk to register your interest, ensuring you leave your name and school's telephone number so we can confirm your identity, or telephone Towerlands Primary School to leave your details: Tel 01294 211 265.

The following have refused our invitation as they "will not be attending any public meetings until the formal consultation period begins in January":

Mr Ian Snodgrass (Chief Executive, NAC)
Mr Jim Leckie (Educational Services, NAC)
Mr Brian Gardener (Educational Services, NAC)
Mr John Travers (Educational Services, NAC)

Leave Rural Schools Alone

2007-12-01T15:03:00.000Z

An article publised on the Times Educational Suplement (TES) website, 12th October 2007, states:

"The Scottish Government has taken a step closer to creating a legal presumption against the closure of rural schools. "

"Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, yesterday told councils she expects them to put the best interests of pupils before financial considerations when deciding on school closures. She also wants them to be better at taking pupils’ – not just parents’ – views into consideration."

"Although the reissued guidance varies little from that issued in 2004 by Peter Peacock, the former education minister, her accompanying letter to directors of education and local authority education conveners sets a very different tone."

"Her letter to councils emphasises the need not simply to look at the current roll of schools, but to consider future demand for places. “Firstly, population projections for a given community or area can fluctuate quite significantly from year to year and, secondly, your council can sometimes take positive action, or encourage or support the taking of action by others, to influence directly the projections and trends – for instance to seek to slow, halt or even reverse the decline in a community’s population,” she says. "
(http://www.tes.co.uk/2444180)

Scottish Executive - Measures to support lower school class sizes

2007-11-30T10:11:00.000Z

A range of statistics relating to pupils in Scotland were published on 20th November 2007; commenting on the latest figures Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop MSP said:

"To help achieve lower class sizes, we will deliver more than 20,000 new teachers in training - the greatest number since devolution, and £115 million extra capital for local authorities in 2008/09 which can be invested in schools, as part of a 15 per cent increase in capital spending over the next three years. And, of course, for the first time local government will be able to retain efficiency savings to re-invest in local services.

"These are substantial additional resources to help secure the important objective of lower class sizes in the early years.

"Early intervention - such as cutting class sizes - will be the hallmark of this government's education policies. We believe that providing help and support at this vital early stage can make a real difference to a child's lifelong prospects."
(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/11/20123238)

We shall wait with baited breath to see if this materialises.

Outcome of Public Meeting @ Springside Community Centre - 28/Nov/07

2007-11-29T11:24:00.000Z

The public meeting at Springside Community Centre, Wednesday 28th November 2007, was very well organised with a huge turnout. Signs and banners were hanging outside the Community Centre to greet the panel of Councillors as they arrived. Information sheets detailing the arguments for saving Springside Primary School were provided, as were badges, for all who attended. The people put these arguments to the panel of councillors, who all agreed they have strong, valid, arguments against closure.

The three councillors stated their positions on NAC’s proposals to close schools; both Councillors John Moffat and Joan Sturgeon pledged their support to saving our schools, even signing the SaveOurSchools petition, in addition to Springside’s own petition.

Councillor Tom Barr stated that he would make his position known once he is in possession of the consultation document in January. Councillor Barr also stated that he would attend any public meeting that is called, and confirmed his attendance for the meeting with Mr Brian Donohoe MP on 7th December 2007 at Mr Donohoe’s constituency office.

This should be seen as a very positive start to raising the profile of not just Springside Primary School, but all schools facing the threat of closure in North Ayrshire.

NAC slammed over ‘huge debt’

2007-11-28T12:58:00.000Z

The Irvine Herald newspaper published a story on it's website, on 21st November 2007, raising questions about the amount of debt that NAC are in:

" NORTH Ayrshire Council are £207m in debt.

This week, West of Scotland Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw slammed NAC for what he considered to be a “huge amount of debt.”

The figures also reveal that the cost of servicing this debt is almost £25m each year, a bill that has to be picked up by the already hard-pressed North Ayrshire council tax payer."

(comments on all articles are generously moderated, and welcomed!)

PUBLIC MEETING: Springside Community Centre, Wednesday 28th November 2007

2007-11-26T15:18:00.000Z

The Springside committee fighting the closure of Springside Primary School have arranged a public meeting for Councillors to explain NAC's proposals and their positions at:

Springside Community Centre

Wednesday 28th November 2007

At 7 pm

The following Councillors will be attending:

Councillor Tom Barr - Ward 2 - Irvine East
Councillor John Moffatt - Ward 2 - Irvine East
Councillor Joan Sturgeon - Ward 2 - Irvine East

ALL members of the public are welcome!!!

Any questions relating to this event should be directed to:
Eleanor Graham on Tel: 01294 216 239

Please Return Completed Petition Sheets

2007-11-23T10:33:00.000Z

A huge thank you to all those who have handed completed petition forms back to us; the response has been fantastic.

Completed forms can be handed in to Towerlands Primary School, or send them to:

Towerlands Primary School Parent Council
Towerlands Primary School
Heatherstane Way
Bourtreehill
IRVINE
KA11 1DY

Keep up the good work :D

Parent Councils Needed

2007-11-22T10:18:00.000Z

Many Parent Councils are up in arms regarding NAC's proposals; Towerlands Primary School Parent Council would like all Parent Councils to contact us to discuss ways in which we can co-ordinate our activities. We have already been in contact with a few Parent Councils but would like to contact more.

If your Parent Council wants to band together with us and others; share information; show a united front; and help in the fight, please contact us by sending an email to: parentcouncils@saveourschools.org.uk, or call Towerlands Primary School to leave a message: Tel 01294 211 265.

Contact Us

2007-11-20T11:40:00.009Z

The Towerlands SaveOurSchools campaign can be contacted by any of the following:

Tel: 01294 232 158

Mob: 07760 440 634

Email: info@saveourschools.org.uk

How NAC Have Treated Parents - Irvine Times Article

2007-11-20T11:40:00.005Z

Kevin Dyson from the Irvine Times newspaper has written a blog post on their website relating to the manner in which the council has treated parents. I think you'll find that Kevin has judged the mood of the parents very well:

"To most people this will seem as though NAC have either something to hide or are just plain incompetent. Either way it is no gold star on their jotter."

"...invites to meetings have proved fruitless. Not one official offered to explain the situation to 50 parents who gathered at Towerlands Primary last Wednesday, the day we broke the news."

"Whether they will politely decline to attend meetings at John Galt and Springside Primaries over the coming week and stay behind the walls of Cunninghame House will tell everyone what they need to know about NAC's attitude to consultation."

Click here to read the full article!

(or cut and paste the following text into your web browser: http://www.irvinetimes.com/article.php?sec=1&id=17208)

Contact from Councillor Joan Sturgeon - Ward 2 - Irvine East

2007-11-20T11:40:00.003Z

I was in contact, by telephone, with Councillor Joan Sturgeon yesterday (19 Nov 07); she is investigating the situation closely as two of the schools affected by NAC's proposals are within her Ward.

Updates will be posted as and when recieved.

Contact from Irene Oldfather MSP

2007-11-20T11:40:00.002Z

Irene Oldfather MSP has written to Mr Ian Snodgrass (Wed 14 Nov 07 ), Chief Executive of North Ayrshire Council, raising concerns that I put to her (Tue 13 Nov 07) . She has asked for Mr Snodgrass to send her his comments and to have one of his officers contact me to appraise me of the situation.

Updates will be posted as and when recieved.

Campaign Resources

2007-11-20T11:40:00.001Z

(Please ensure your print settings are set to 'reduce to fit' , and that you check the 'print preview' to ensure no parts of the documents are cut off)

Click on the thumbnail pictures above to see, and print, the campaign petition form and flyers we are asking you to use in highlighting the fight to Stop North Ayrshire Council frm Closing Schools.

If you are having difficulty printing, or would like to modify the documents before starting your campaign, please send an email to: packrequest@saveourschools.org.uk.

Website Technical Issues

2007-11-19T20:11:00.000Z

We are aware that some users are having difficulty opeing the petition and other pages on SaveOurSchools.org.uk; this is most likely caused by one of the following:

Our site, or the petition's host site, may be experiencing high 'traffic'
Slow internet connection due to peak traffic; early evenings tend to be slowest due to everyone using the internet between tea-time and kids' bedtime

Please try again at a later time if this is the case; we ask that you bear with us as technical issues are addressed.

How to access information about North Ayrshire Council

2007-11-19T09:41:00.000Z

Your rights under Freedom of Information and how to access information about North Ayrshire Council

Some examples of the information that should be requested (please leave comment if you have already done so):
Copies of all documents pertaining to the closure/amalgamation of schools in North Ayrshire including, but not limited to, all working documents/reports, internal memos and emails, and contracts or pre-contracual agreements.
Who counted the number of houses that NAC says will fit on each school site, and have any contracts been signed in relation to this. If so, please send a copy.
What is the total public expenses/benefits paid to all NAC staff at Heads of Service-level, and above, since they came into their current roles? Please justify every item that was bought with public money.

This service should be used creatively, but responsibly; we cannot be held responsible for you requesting:
The number of plastic tea spoons that NAC used last year, how much did they cost and who supplied them.
The specific makes and models of lawnmowers that NAC uses and their reasoning behind choosing particular makes and models.
Etc, etc, etc
Click Here to Ask NAC for Information!!!
NAC's website says:
"All you have to do is ask for the information. You don’t have to say why you want it, or what you want it for. You don’t even have to mention the new laws."
"They even have a duty to advise and assist you to make a request and they must provide the information within 20 working days."
"Some types of information can still be kept back for good reasons, but you should be given those reasons. If you don’t agree, you have the right to appeal to the independent Scottish Information Commissioner."
"We welcome requests for information about the Council and the Services we provide."
How? By Searching their web-site for the information. Look at their Publications Scheme, which lists the types of information they hold and how you can access it. If you still cannot find what you are looking for, then submit your request using the ‘Contact Us’ facility and they will be in contact with you to offer help and advice.

Consultation Period - January to March 2008

2007-11-17T19:44:00.002Z

North Ayrshire Council have announced it is to consult the public on the four primary school amalgamation (CLOSURE) proposals between January and March 2008. A statement issued today by Alec Wattie, Communications Officer at NAC states:

"John Travers, corporate director, Educational Services, told the Council Executive that since the Council was established in 1996 there had been extensive changes in pupil rolls, population patterns, class sizes and educational provision."

What Mr travers has forgotten to note on his list is the communities (population patterns are not communities) that have been built up around our schools over the past 30 years or so. Personally speaking, when the Brommlands and Bourtreehill areas of Irvine were built around 30 years ago there was no community; the area was just clusters of new buildings and random people from all over, who didn't know each other.

We are now the 2nd generation in this area, part of a community that has developed over time, not just a column of numbers in Mr Travers' financial spreadsheet.

Contact the Media with Your Views

2007-11-17T10:45:00.004Z

Those who wish to voice their opinions about the closure of North Ayrshire schools can contact the following media outlets:

Irvine Times Newspaper - Tel: 01294 273 421 - ask for Kevin, or email him direct at: kdyson@irvinetimes.co.uk
Irvine Herald Newspaper - Tel: 01294 278 312 - ask for Eric or Lex
Westsound/West FM Radio - Tel: 01292 283 662 - ask for Sarah or Ross
Aryshire Post newspaper - Tel: 01292 261 111 or call the editor, Alan Woodison, on 01292 262200
STV - news@stv.tv
Five News - news@five.tv
SKY News - news@sky.com
BBC Scotland News - Email: scottish.planning@bbc.co.uk Newsroom Tel : 0141 422 7800

Please add details of other media contacts in the comments section of this post.

Want to do more?

2007-11-17T10:45:00.003Z

Want to do more, but don't know where to start? Try some of the following:

Contact your MPs and MSPs to voice concerns.
Contact your local Councillor; if you are unsure which 'ward' you are part of, click here.
Tell friends and family about our campaign and ask them to sign the online petition.

All support is welcome!!!

NAC Report in Full

2007-11-17T10:45:00.001Z

Click links below to see:

NAC's Report
Appendices to NAC's Report

Sign the Online Petition!

Schools Under Threat

2007-11-17T10:45:00.000Z

Schools and Communities in North Ayrshire are facing a major change under North Ayrshire Council's propoals to close and amalgamate primary schools in the area. Under these proposals children will be torn apart from friends and community links/bonds will be destroyed.

Close TOWERLANDS Primary School; amalgamate with Broomlands PS and Fencedyke PS. (IRVINE)
Close JOHN GALT Primary School; amalgamate with Castlepark PS and Woodlands PS. (IRVINE)
Close DREGHORN and SPRINSIDE Primary schools; amalgamate into a new school, yet to be built using the money from selling off school sites.(IRVINE)
Close CORRIE Primary school; amalgamate with Brodick PS. (ARRAN)
Redrawing of catchment areas for ST LUKES and ST WINNINGS Primary schools; future closure could be a possibility for one of these schools. (KILWINNING)
The Construction of a new school at Montgomerie Park, Irvine; this will have a knock-on effect on surrounding schools, possibly facing closure in the future. (IRVINE)

The first of these schools will close in June 2008 with children starting their new schools in August 2008.

Support our cause by signing your name to telling North Ayrshire Council to leave not just our schools alone, but the communities that have been built around those schools over the past 30 years or more.

Disclaimer

2007-11-17T07:30:00.000Z

The views and opinions expressed here represent the authors' and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that they may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly; we endeavour to provided credit where credit is due and will name sources of information when necessary. If any reader has issues with copyrighted material please contact us.

Also, authors' thoughts and opinions change from time to time as they come to learn more and develop their understanding of the issues they are blogging about. This blog just provides a snapshot of the knowledge, views, and opinions that a particular author holds at a particular point of time and these might, and most probably will change over a period of time.

Authors reserve the right to evolve their knowledge, thoughts, and viewpoints over time and to change them without assigning any reason.Links to other sites/blogs operated by third parties are provided; these are provided as a means of convenient access to you and to the information/opinion contained therein.

We are in no way responsible for the content of any other sites or any products or services that may be offered through other sites, unless explicitly stated.