UPDATE: Highland Council says it had no choice but to tell Inverness primary school to cut number of classes

Highland Council has described forcing an Inverness primary school to reduce the number of classes it is running as a routine change based on finances.

Yesterday pupils at Milton of Leys Primary were sent home with a letter explaining the school was having to cut the number of classes from 14 to 13 – and that it was unable to retain its probationary teacher.

Acting head teacher Meg Snedden acknowledged it would impact all children, parents and the community.

A council spokeswoman said: "Every year Highland classes are re-configured after the summer holidays when families move into, or out of, an area.

"Last session schools were asked to continue to reconfigure for arrivals at least up to Christmas.

"In consultation with head teachers it was agreed that reconfiguration would best support learning and teaching if determined at the end of week one following the start of the new school session, enabling school staff levels to be finalised and parents and pupils could settle to the rest of session with assurance that classes were settled.

"In this case, the numbers fell below what was required for 14 teachers and so a teacher had to be moved."

Dr James Vance, the council's interim head of education, added: “This is a routine operational change which is based on proper budget management and seeking to deliver budget savings.

"It also supports the consistency and equality head teachers and parents have been asking for.”

The school plans to no longer have P2/3 and P3/4 classes.

Ms Sneddon's letter stated: "All classes will have some change and we are working hard to re-structure the classes trying to minimise disruption to learning as much as we can and supporting the health and wellbeing of our pupils."

The school is aiming to start new classes in week beginning September 16.

Inverness South councillor Ken Gowans said: "This caught parents and pupils completely by surprise and left them in real shock. There has been lots of children coming home very distressed after losing a favourite teacher.

"This will all be down to cuts in education at the council.

"It is just about what happened but about how this happened. The kids were only back to school a week and suddenly this happens. It can be very unsettling."

Related article: Inverness primary advised by Highland Council to cut number of classes

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