East Lothian Courier | News | Warning: school's nearly full

Monday, 8th September, 2008

Published: Thursday, 17th January, 2008 09:30

Warning: school's nearly full

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KIDS of families who set up home in and around Tranent may have to go elsewhere in the county for their secondary education – as Ross High School edges towards full capacity.

That was the warning from Fa’side councillor Donald Grant, who said that the secondary school on Well Wynd “lacked space” for new intakes.

“It is close to saturation,” he added.

He explained to Tranent community councillors that the shortage could pose problems for new arrivals to the town, if and when a construction project of 1,600 houses was approved at nearby former mining site Blindwells.

Community councillor Joan Ramsay had questioned Councillor Grant about rumours that there were only 100-150 places left at the school.

Community leaders are concerned that Ross High, which provides education for nearly 1,000 children, could become inundated with potentially hundreds of new pupils, while secondary school services are prepared for Blindwells.

Problems

A single campus for pre-school, primary and secondary school pupils is proposed at the site, identified as one of six county locations for affordable housing in the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan 2015.

Mr Grant said: “A primary school (at Blindwells) would have to be built almost immediately and as I understand it, a secondary school will come later.

“Any children of secondary school age would have to go to Ross High and once we get over a thousand kids in there, it could become a problem.”

The £6.4 million housing development currently underway in West Windygoul, Tranent, would put yet more strain on the school, said community councillors.

Last year, a two-storey teaching block with 21 additional classrooms was constructed at the school.

Extensive renovations were also carried out to the main entrance, gym facilities and staff rooms, as part of a £43 million Public Private Partnership (PPP) project to upgrade the county’s six secondaries.

Mr Grant added that there was “limited scope” for further extending the building.

Community councillor Candy Inglis pointed out that other county towns were facing similar problems due to rises in the population.

“Look at Dunbar for example, it’s getting far too big,” she said. “There may be an argument for another secondary school in East Lothian.”

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