Residents in Johnstone are being encouraged to take part in a major consultation which could shape the future of education in the town for decades to come.
Renfrewshire Council has launched a series of surveys seeking views on proposals for a new Johnstone High School and significant changes to the town’s primary school estate.
The plans form part of the council’s Learning Estate Strategy, which aims to deliver what it describes as the biggest-ever investment in schools across Renfrewshire.
According to the council, Johnstone currently has seven primary schools but only around 68 per cent of available capacity is being used. Pupil numbers are expected to fall further over the next decade, with some schools requiring replacement while others are underused.
As part of the consultation, three options are being considered for Johnstone High School:
Rebuilding the school on its current site.
Building a new school at Beith Road Playing Fields.
Retrofitting the existing school building.
The council is also proposing a number of changes to the primary school estate.
Under the plans, Auchenlodment Primary School and Thorn Primary School would merge into a new school, with three potential locations under consideration – the current Auchenlodment site, the current Thorn site, or a site at Poplar Avenue.
St Margaret’s Primary School and St David’s Primary School could also merge into a single denominational school based at the current West Johnstone Joint Campus.
Meanwhile, Cochrane Castle Primary School and Fordbank Primary School could merge, with pupils attending the existing Fordbank Primary building.
St Anthony’s Primary School would not be affected by the proposals.
Renfrewshire Council has stressed that no final decisions have been made and that the current plans are proposals only. Councillors have approved a period of public engagement before any decisions are taken.
The final decisions on the future of the schools are expected to be made in 2027.
Residents can view the proposals and complete the surveys online. Feedback gathered during the consultation will help inform the recommendations presented to councillors before any final decisions are taken.
The consultation can be viewed at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ccc5ea7b00594122bbf0079641b2de8d.