THE doors of a mothballed Borders primary school are set to remain shut for another year.
Eddleston Primary School was closed in June 2022 after pupil numbers plummeted to just four.
A council spokesperson said that demand remained “relatively low” in a report published ahead of a meeting of its education sub-committee on Tuesday (June 18).
Members are being recommended to approve extending the school’s mothball status for one more year after a review was carried out.
There is no statutory maximum period for mothballing a school, but the spokesperson said guidance suggested a permanent decision should be taken after three years.
“At the start of the 2021/22 school year there were 24 pupils enrolled at the school, which in accordance with Scottish Government regulations equated to a single composite class,” the report states.
“This resulted in a number of placement requests being submitted by parents to other schools outwith the catchment. The school roll reduced throughout the school year and there were, at the time of mothballing status being invoked, only four pupils enrolled at the school.
“Council officers worked closely with the parents at the school, who approached the council asking for the school to be mothballed until there were sufficient numbers of children and more demand to allow the school to reopen.”
A further review is to be carried out in May next year.
The school, found in the village around five miles north of Peebles, has capacity for up to 100 pupils.
In 2017 there was a roll of 51.
Following the decision to mothball the school, its catchment area was re-zoned on a temporary basis to Newlands Primary School.
The council looked at four options in its latest review, including reopening the site and permanently closing it.
But it was decided to continue with its mothball status, with hopes that the population grows to make running the school more viable.
There are two “live” planning applications to build houses in the area, according to the report.
“There are signs that there is a reasonable prospect that the numbers of children in the area who do wish to attend a reinstated Eddleston Primary School will grow," it states.
“Given the number of children in the catchment area at today’s date, the projected possible housebuilding and the birth/ population data for the area, it is reasonable to expect that this could lead to a more sustainable and viable school roll and in line with what is 'generally' wanted by parents/carers, which is more than one composite class.”
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