Edinburgh Schools Review: Council unveils alternatives to WHEC and Currie Merger

The City of Edinburgh Council has outlined alternative options to the proposed merger of WHEC and Currie Community High School in a new report detailing the outcomes of their informal consultation.

The report on the informal consultation for west and south west Edinburgh schools will go to a special Education, Children and Families Committee on 29 March 2018. You can read it here.

The report responds to some of the points most often raised including

  • attainment and inclusion
  • size of school and the impact on attainment
  • future proofing the estate
  • investment in the school estate.

The report includes the original published proposal and three alternative options. It looks at the positives and negatives of each option.

The three alternative options are:


Alternative option 1
Map

No change to Forrester High School or WHEC catchment or building capacity.

Cherry Trees and Newmills area of Currie High School catchment would feed to Balerno High School.

Kinleith Mill area moves from Currie Primary School’s catchment area to Nether Currie Primary School’s catchment area.

Balerno High School expands to 1000 pupil capacity. Dean Park, Kirknewton and Ratho remain the feeder primary schools.

Currie High School expands to 1000 pupil capacity. Currie, Nether Currie and Juniper Green remain the feeder primary schools.

Kirkliston and Hillwood Primary Schools and a new Maybury Primary School would feed to the new west Edinburgh school. The new school would have capacity for 1200 pupils.

Alternative sites for a new high school in and around Kirkliston need further consideration before we have a statutory consultation.


Alternative option 2
Map

There would be no change to Forrester High School catchment or building capacity.

Clovenstone, Canal View and Sighthill Primaries would feed to a new south west Edinburgh school which would replace WHEC. The new school would have capacity for 900 pupils and is proposed to be built on Curriemuirend.

Juniper Green Primary School would feed to a new south west Edinburgh school. It currently feeds to Currie High School.

Cherry Trees and Newmills area would stay in the Currie High School catchment.

Kinleith Mill area would move from Currie Primary School’s catchment area to Nether Currie Primary School’s catchment area.

Balerno High School would expand to a 900 pupil capacity. Dean Park, Kirknewton and Ratho continue to be feeder primary schools.

Currie High School would reduce to an 800 pupil capacity. Currie and Nether Currie continue to be feeder primary schools.

Kirkliston and Hillwood Primary Schools and a new Maybury Primary School would feed to the new west Edinburgh school. The new school would have an initial capacity for 600 pupils but would be extendable.

We would need to consider sites for a new high school in and around Kirkliston before we have a statutory consultation.

A second high school is suggested to accommodate pupils from the new Maybury Primary School. It would also accommodate a future primary school which may emerge as a result of new housing sites in this area gaining planning approval. The new school would have an initial capacity for 600 pupils but would be extendable.


Alternative option 3
Map

Secondary education would no longer be provided at WHEC but a community hub would remain.

Canal View and Clovenstone Primary Schools would feed to a new much larger Currie High School. Currie High would be rebuilt or expanded on its current site or an alternative more central site in the catchment area.

Sighthill Primary School would feed to Forrester High School.

Cherry Trees and Newmills area of Currie High School catchment area would feed to Balerno High School.

Kinleith Mill area would move from Currie Primary School’s catchment area to Nether Currie’s.

Currie High School would expand to a 1,600 pupil capacity. There are two site options. Woodlands School would be relocated if site option 2 is progressed.

Balerno High School would expand to a 1,000 pupil capacity. Dean Park, Kirknewton and Ratho would continue to be feeder primary schools.

Kirkliston and Hillwood Primary Schools and a new Maybury Primary School would feed to the new west Edinburgh school. The new school would have the capacity for 1,200 pupils.


The next steps in the proposal will see the Council take another report to the Education Children and Families Committee meeting on 22 May 2018. This report will propose which, if any, of the options should go to statutory consultation.

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