EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL A PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

impact of climate change and which leads by example in matters of
environmental performance;
‣ A school estate that is efficiently run and that delivers maximum value
for money;
‣ A school estate which is flexible and responsive - both to changes in
demand for school places and to learners' and teachers' requirements
and wishes, and where the beneficial impact of change is maximised by
thorough engagement with users and stakeholders.
This document has been framed taking account of these Scottish Government
aspirations.
(ii)
(a)
Local Factors
Pupil Rolls
The primary and secondary pupil roll within East Ayrshire has fallen by 2,515
13.5% in the last decade. According to the General Registrar’s Office the
number of children, aged 0-15 in East Ayrshire is projected to fall by 4%
between 2010 and 2035. It is recognised that this reduction is not evenly
spread across the Council area, with significant housing developments
increasing rolls in nearby schools, however it clear that the overall trend in
projected pupil rolls is downwards.
Taking the most recent information available Table 1 (below) highlights the
number of surplus spaces in the primary school and secondary school estate.
Table 1:
Primary and Secondary Pupil Rolls and School Capacities
as at September 2012
(A)
School
Planning
Capacity
(B)
Usable
Spaces
(C)
Pupil
Roll
(D) = (B)-
(C)
Surplus
Capacity
Primary 14,424 14,530 8,749 5,781
Secondary 15,341 9,882 7,105 2,777
Total 29,765 24,412 15,854 8,558
The table highlights that there are 8,558 surplus spaces in the school estate
and this equates to 12 two-stream primary schools, with 14 classes and a
pupil roll of 480, and 3 secondary schools with a pupil roll of 900. In order to
improve building efficiency and reduce un-necessary expenditure the number
of surplus spaces must be reduced.
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