Home   News   Article

School SOS reaches Disneyland


By Sarah Rollo

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

PUPILS from a Moray primary have been busy this summer spreading their ‘Save Our School’ plea far and wide.

From the waterways of Venice, to the Commonwealth Games arena, and from Disneyland to ‘down on the farm’, Craigellachie Primary youngsters have been publicly backing a future for their school.

Photographs of pupils posing with signs stating ‘SOS Craigellachie Primary, Say No to Closing’ have flooded the ‘Save Craigellachie Primary’ Facebook page over the holidays.

Other locations included John O’ Groats, at the seaside, at the Craigellachie tennis courts, at the Scottish Open in Aberdeen, on a slide at a sunny water park, and at the Glenfinnan viaduct.

With the new term underway, P1 pupil Jim Forsyth, of Mulben, was named as winner for his picture posing in the KCR studio with DJ Julie Ettles.

Jim has just started P1 at the school, where his older brother Ian (8) is also a pupil.

“He’s just loving it,” said his mum Laura. “It is a brilliant school. All the kids play together, you see the P1s mixing with pupils right up to P7 in the playground.

“Just two days ago, I was in at the school and they were handing out fruit and vegetables they had grown in their wee garden. It is just such a lovely place.

“Our kids get such a good start there, not just in terms of education but the emotional and social aspects as well.”

The threat to Craigellachie, as well as primaries across the area and Milne’s High School, came under Moray Council’s Sustainable Education Review, announced last year after it emerged the school estate needed £70 million to bring it up to standard. Consultants Caledonian Economics were called in to come up with a list of ideas for the future of education in Moray.

A report, published in February, detailed far-reaching proposals, including closures, mergers, new-builds, and 3-18 campuses.

Mrs Forsyth said the suggestion that Craigellachie could be merged with Rothes Primary, or become part of a new 3-18 campus in Aberlour, sent shock-waves around the community.

“It sickened us all, it absolutely sickened us,” she said. “Now, we are trying everything we possibly can, we are not going to go down without a fight.”

The steering group of elected members driving the process forward are due to receive a final report from the consultants today (Friday), with publication by the end of next week.

A meeting of the full council on November 3 is due to debate the report.

Craigellachie Parent Partnership chair Lorna Johnston urged parents and community members to let Moray’s elected members know how they feel.

“I’d like to stress the importance of everyone writing to as many councillors before November 3, as that is when they will be debating the new report.

“The councillors need to know how important keeping our school open is,” she said.

Following the November talks, detailed development of proposals will be carried out and then finalised in January.

Reports on the educational benefits of any proposals will then be drawn up, followed by consultation in May and June 2015, with a final decision expected next November.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More