Statutory Consultation Opens-Proposed Closure of Fountainhall Primary School and ELC

Fountainhall Primary School and ELC has been temporarily closed since June 2025 due to a sustained decline in numbers and the roll falling to one primary pupil.

The Statutory Consultation on permanent closure and rezone of the catchment opened online on Monday 24 August 2026 and closes on Monday 12 October 2026.

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 September at 5.30pm in Fountainhall Village Hall. All are welcome to attend and hear more about the proposals and to have your views noted.

The Statutory Consultation process is required under the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 (As Amended), which ensures communities are aware of proposed major changes to the school estate and includes a presumption against rural school closure, unless all alternatives have been fully explored and discounted before moving to the proposal to close.

The Council’s recommendations follow a detailed Options Appraisal Mothball/Temporary Closure Review conducted earlier this year. It found that there was no anticipated increase in demand for the Primary School or ELC to sustainable levels. The review concluded that permanent closure would provide clarity for the community and support effective long-term planning for educational provision in the area. It found that the educational benefits of permanently closing the school and rezoning the catchment area to Heriot Primary School and the new ELC provision at Heriot were particularly persuasive.  The proposal also aligns with the majority view expressed by the parent and carer community during the temporary closure review and supports wider rural development objectives, particularly by helping to support Heriot Primary School and its new ELC provision as a viable small rural school in the longer term.

Views will be sought on the proposal before further recommendations are made to elected members to make the final decision.

No final decision on the proposal will be made by elected members until the statutory consultation is completed and all representations have been considered within a Consultation Report. Scottish Ministers must also review the outcome in line with national legislation to provide approval.

The Statutory Consultation on permanent closure and rezone of the catchment  is available online via Citizen Space (from Monday 24 August 2026 to Monday 12 October 2026).