Report reveals Helensburgh and Lomond schools' pupil rolls

According to figures in a report to members of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee, the roll at Garelochhead Primary has increased by more than 43 per cent in the last five years, from 83 pupils to 119.

Colgrain Primary has seen an increase of more than 18 per cent over the same period, from 256 to 303, while Rhu’s roll has gone up from 194 to 214 – a rise of more than 10 per cent.

But the roll at John Logie Baird Primary has fallen by almost 13 per cent, from 170 pupils to 148, while at Luss the eight-pupil roll in 2018-19 is only half what it was five years ago.

The report also highlighted numerous changes of head teacher at local schools in the past year, with Kelly Girling now in place as permanent head teacher at Cardross after Elspeth Davis took up the vacant post at Hermitage Primary, while Marianne Docherty has taken over the head teacher role at Luss Primary after the retiral of Carol Anne Struthers.

Colgrain will also have a new head teacher in August when Pauline Walsh replaces the retiring head Johanna McClelland.

Councillor George Freeman told the committee last Thursday: “There have been a number of issues over a number of years [at Luss Primary] but we are hoping that some recent changes will see that trend change.

“I’m particularly delighted with the 43 per cent increase at Garelochhead, while I understand Rhu has the highest number of placing requests for any primary school in Argyll and Bute.”

Councillor Richard Trail asked whether the falling roll at John Logie Baird was related to falling numbers of children living in the school’s catchment area.

Area education officer Annette Trevelyan said: “Rhu is a magnet school at the moment. Its proximity to Faslane is one of the main areas why parents come to us to ask for placing requests.

“The new head teacher at Luss started in May and there are exciting times ahead.

“I don’t have information on the number of children living in the John Logie Baird catchment area but the difference is very small between last year and this year.”

Committee chair Ellen Morton added: “There are still an awful lot of empty houses in Churchill. I’m hopeful that once the Royal Navy relocation gathers pace, many of those houses will start to be reoccupied.”

Ms Trevelyan added: “One welcoming development is that the roll for the overall Helensburgh and Lomond cluster has gone up - there were real concerns about falling numbers five years ago.”