Background to the project
2007
At the start of the last Council in May 2007, Schools Service was tasked to develop a modern “blueprint” for the shape of the Service across Shetland for 10 years time. The new model had to take account of the educational and financial viability levels for schools, their host communities as well as important associated issues such as transport requirements.
Services Committee, in November 2007, set the terms of reference for this piece of work to be that:
- The key drivers should be to provide the best quality educational opportunities and learning environment for all;
- In so doing, the opportunity for savings to bring budgets to a sustainable level should be considered;
- The final blueprint comes back to Services Committee with an action plan to look at all schools, internal management, the necessary investment required, quality of education, new ways of delivering education and the potential for each school within a realistic timescale.
2008
A community-wide informal consultation exercise took place to discuss the significant changes facing the Schools Service, as well as the “Blueprint” mentioned above.
The focus of the consultation included:
- Minimising the number of transfer points from pre-school through to Post-16 education;
- Resolving the relationship between statutory pre-school education and childcare;
- Minimum pupil rolls for primary schools, except in our remote isles;
- The role of composite classes in Shetland’s primary schools and their educational benefits;
- Teaching head teachers;
- Proposed changes to the Scottish Curriculum and National Qualifications;
- Equality of opportunity in terms of curriculum choices and post-school destinations.
The Report to Services Committee on 09 October 2008
2009
Following on from the community-wide consultation, on 12 February 2009 a report was submitted to the Services Committee for consideration.
The Report to Services Committee on 12 February 2009.
Documents relating to the 2008 Blueprint Consultation exercise:
- Blueprint Analysis Report - Final Version - Blueprint Analysis Report - Final version
- All comments from Individual Forms - ALL COMMENTS FROM INDIVIDUAL FORMS
- Group Statistics by Cluster Area - GROUP STATISTICS - BY CLUSTER AREA
- Statement 1 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 1 responses
- Statement 2 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 2 responses
- Statement 3 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 3 responses
- Statement 4 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 4 responses
- Statement 5 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 5 responses
- Statement 6 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 6 responses
- Statement 7 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 7 responses
- Statement 8 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 8 responses
- Statement 9 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 9 responses
- Statement 10 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 10 responses
- Statement 11 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 11 responses
- Statement 12 Responses - Public forms - All Statement 12 responses
2010
A further informal consultation was carried out from January - March 2010 to consider options for the future of the school. Following an evaluation of this informal consultation, nine proposals were presented to Services Committee on 17 June 2010.
Services Committee and subsequently Shetland Islands Council agreed to take forward the Blueprint for Education Primary Proposal 2 and Secondary Proposal 2.
Secondary Proposal 2 included:
“Formal consultation would begin for the closure of Scalloway Junior High School Secondary Department and Skerries School Secondary Department.”
Primary Proposal 2 included:
“Formal consultation would begin for the closure of Uyeasound Primary School, Burravoe Primary School, North Roe Primary School, Olnafirth Primary School and Sandness Primary School.”
2011
Between August 2010 and May 2011, Children’s Services undertook Statutory Consultation on the Blueprint for Education Proposals in accordance with The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. As a result of these consultations and subsequent approval from Shetland Islands Council and the Scottish Minister, education provision was discontinued at Scalloway Junior High School Secondary Department and at Uyeasound Primary School.
The planned Statutory Consultation on education provision at Olnafirth Primary School, due to take place in August 2011, was deferred following the implementation of a national year-long Moratorium on Rural School Closures in June 2011.
2012
In September 2012, Shetland Islands Council approved a report detailing a refresh of the Blueprint for Education. The principal reason for seeking to revisit the Blueprint for Education was that as the Curriculum for Excellence Senior Phase plans were being finalised, the current model of secondary education provision in Shetland began to look increasingly incompatible with the new national curriculum.
The refreshed report presented a plan for delivering school education in Shetland for the next five years. It proposed the closure of five junior high school secondary departments and five primary schools including one nursery class. It was confirmed that the proposals would generate required financial savings, whilst also protecting the capacity of the school estate to deliver Curriculum for Excellence.
At the time, Elected Members approved the report and the proposed closures with the exception of Baltasound Junior High School secondary department which they agreed should remain open.
In addition to these decisions on specific secondary provision, on 20 September 2012, Councillors also approved a new framework for school education in Shetland contained within an agreed Statement for Education and agreed Commitments for Education from 2012 to 2017. These took account of the Principles of Education agreed by Councillors in March 2009.
In response to the refreshed Blueprint report, Shetland’s junior high school Parent Council Chairs submitted a “Supplementary Blueprint” report to Shetland Islands Council, detailing alternative proposals they had prepared themselves. Supplementary Blueprint Report
2013
The Blueprint Next Steps report set out further amendments to the strategy, proposing the removal of the Secondary 4 stage of provision at the three North Isles junior high schools, as opposed to outright closure of those secondary departments. This would allow pupils to complete their Broad General Education in their local setting before transferring to the Anderson High School at the beginning of the Senior Phase.
On 11 September 2013, the Blueprint Next Steps report was presented to Education and Families Committee and Shetland Islands Council, where it was resolved to postpone a decision on the revisions in order to allow alternative options outlined at the Education and Families Committee meeting to be investigated.
Children’s Services set out detail of five potential models for secondary education provision:
- Retain the “status quo” but make the required savings;
- The Extant Blueprint Option
- The Blueprint Next Steps Option
- A Telepresence Option
- A Hub Option
These options went to informal consultation, with a series of meetings held throughout Shetland giving parents the opportunity to assess them in facilitated group discussions. Schools staff, primary pupils and secondary pupils also took part in group discussions led by their school’s head teacher. Further to these meetings, individuals were given the opportunity to submit written representation on the options using a number of methods, including electronic and postal response forms.
Professor Don Ledingham of Drummond International was commissioned as an independent expert to provide strategic recommendations based on the prepared options and informal consultation feedback.
In a report to Shetland Islands Council on 13 November 2013, Prof Ledingham recommended statutory consultation on the closure of the secondary departments at Sandwick Junior High School and Aith Junior High School. Prof Ledingham also recommended statutory consultation on the reduction of stages at the secondary departments at Whalsay School, Mid Yell Junior High School and Baltasound Junior High School, to provide Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 education only.
On 13 November 2013, Shetland Islands Council accepted the part of Prof Ledingham’s recommendation concerning the three North Isles schools; however, a motion was also accepted to formally consult on only removing stages at the secondary departments of Aith Junior High School and Sandwick Junior High School, retaining Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 at those schools as well.
Following these agreements, Children’s Services finalised a timeline of statutory consultations over the next two years. Timeline of Statutory Consultations.