From the City Council’s Director of Children and Families Service to City Councillors :
“Now that schools will reopen in what would be regarded as normal school days from Monday 17th August, it would be our intention to continue the consultation process to its conclusion.
With this in mind we intend to run the consultation for an additional three weeks from 17th August to 4th September.
This will provide some additional time for stakeholders to respond to the proposals set out in the consultations and it will also permit the completion of any remaining discussions with schools and staff which were postponed.
It would be important to note that prior to lockdown the vast bulk of the consultative meetings had taken place, including public meetings for each proposal where Education Scotland was present. In fact, at the point of lockdown the consultation had only a few days to run.
Due to ongoing restrictions on large public gatherings, we intend to carry out any engagement in this additional 3 weeks extended period using a digital format.”
Letters were issued yesterday to parents of the affected schools. The relevant one for the West End is as follows :
TO PARENTS/CARERS OF PUPILS ATTENDING HARRIS ACADEMY, ANCRUM ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, BLACKNESS PRIMARY SCHOOL, CAMPERDOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL, TAYVIEW PRIMARY SCHOOL AND VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dear Parent/Carer
LEARNING ESTATE CONSULTATIONS
THE REMOVAL OF INVERGOWRIE PRIMARY SCHOOLS STATUS AS AN ASSOCIATED PRIMARY TO HARRIS ACADEMY FROM AUGUST 2021
THE REVISION OF CATCHMENT AREAS FOR ANCRUM ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, BLACKNESS PRIMARY SCHOOL, CAMPERDOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL, TAYVIEW PRIMARY SCHOOL AND VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL FROM AUGUST 2021
You will be aware that the above consultations were due to run from 10th February to 27 March 2020.
Unfortunately, due to the Corona virus pandemic and unprecedented events resulting from COVID 19, all schools in Scotland closed on 20 March 2020 and we were unable to complete the consultation within the timescale originally envisaged.
Schools will not be open again for all pupils in what would be regarded as normal school days until Monday 17 August 2020. With this in mind we intend to extend the consultation and conclude it on 4 September at 5pm. This will provide some additional time for stakeholders to respond to the proposals set out in the consultations.
The bulk of the planned consultation activities had been carried out prior to the lockdown of schools on 20 March 2020, including public meetings on both proposals. However, there were two further planned public meetings (one on each proposal), that we could not take forward as a result of the lockdown.
Due to ongoing restrictions on large public gatherings, and in an attempt to best support the conclusion of the consultation process and make sure we obtain the most comprehensive views of the proposals, we intend to carry out these last two events using a digital format. The resources used to support the previous public consultation events will be made available via the consultation web pages to allow stakeholder access to any information or materials they would have received at a public meeting.
Over the three week period, stakeholders will be able to submit questions which will be answered on a weekly basis by senior council officers with both the questions and answers published on the webpage. Please use the following link to the consultation webpage where there are details of the engagement and how to respond.
A link to the questions and answers section will also be found within this.
www.dundeecity.gov.uk/school-learning-estate-formal-consultation
I hope this letter provides some clarity and a way forward during these challenging times.
I look forward to continuing to receive your views on the proposals and your engagement in the digital events.
Yours sincerely
PAUL CLANCY
Executive Director of Children and Families Service