ARGYLL and Bute Council has been accused of failing to tackle concerns of parents and residents in Luss over the running of the village's primary school.

The Advertiser has been told that several parents have withdrawn their children from the school over the standard of education it provides – and that complaints from parents and the village's community council have not been addressed.

According to figures provided by the council, the roll at Luss Primary School has fallen by more than half in the last four years.

But the authority has insisted that the views of parents were considered within a review of the school.

Luss resident Alyson Walker, who is also a member of Luss and Arden Community Council, said the concerns of some – but not all – parents had created a significant split in the village.

She said: “I never felt the council took us seriously.

“We complained as a group but I also complained separately. A majority of parents were concerned, but we never had any complaints upheld.

“The council's community services department was adamant that they had to investigate complaints themselves, so obviously it came back that everything was fine.

“A wedge has been driven down the middle of the community.”

According to the council, 19 pupils attended Luss Primary School in 2013-14.

That number fell to 16 in 2014-15 and to nine in 2015-16.

Eight pupils are currently enrolled at the school, making it the smallest in the Helensburgh and Lomond area.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: “My biggest concern is the fact that the council at every turn managed to find reasons for things happening within the school.

“When we raised a problem, the council just closed ranks.

“We tried to do everything properly and officially and via all the correct channels but at every turn we were left frustrated.

We need to be fair to the staff. What about being fair to the children and their parents? It was always about what was best for the member of staff, not the child.

“It was a complete clampdown. It didn't matter what we told them or what the children told them. When so many allegations are made they need to be investigated properly.”

The parents' concerns were also taken up by Luss and Arden Community Council – whose chairman, Ian MacEachern, said the response they received was so unsatisfactory that they took the matter to the local government ombudsman.

But they were then told that legally the ombudsman cannot consider complaints submitted by a community council.

Mr MacEachern said: “Following meetings with the director of education and Education Services staff, we were so dissatisfied with their response that we raised a formal complaint against Argyll and Bute Council for their mismanagement of Luss School.

“They undertook an internal investigation which in our opinion produced a very biased report in effect clearing themselves of mismanagement.

“We then took our complaint to the Ombudsman who said that legally they could not consider a complaint from a community council.”

Helensburgh and Lomond's MSP, Jackie Baillie, said: “I facilitated and attended a number of meetings between representatives from Argyll and Bute Council and Luss and Arden Community Council to discuss their concerns about Luss Primary.

“Regardless of the findings of the formal review, Argyll and Bute Council has a responsibility to listen to the views of local parents, respond to their concerns and ensure that every child receives the best possible education.

“I have taken the matter up with the Ombudsman and the Cabinet Secretary for Education.”

A spokeswoman for the council said: “As part of a Luss Primary School review, and with information provided by the community council, the views of parents were considered within the school review.

“In addition, a formal response to the concerns received from the communitycouncil was provided last year.

“All our schools carry out continual self-evaluation in order to find ways in which to deliver on-going improvement.

“Staff at Luss Primary School, as in other schools, are working  to put into action a number of improvement initiatives.

“Over the last two years Luss Primary School has achieved  a number of successes, including being crowned the Scottish champion in the Total Green Awards and representing Argyll and Bute at Westminster as part of a national schools project on Parliament. 

“Luss is an award winning school and we are committed to delivering a quality service for our pupils.”