EDUCATION bosses say they want planned changes to the structure of the service in Argyll and Bute to be “cost neutral”. 

The authority’s proposed ‘Empowering our Educators’ project will also see heads of school retain many of the same duties as head teachers do currently.

The proposals, which would see executive head teachers appointed to clusters of schools across the area in a non-teaching capacity, continue to be up for public consultation.

At a special press briefing held by the council on Tuesday, January 25, it was also confirmed that clusters will only be put together if the proposals are approved by the authority in the autumn.

Teaching union representatives have previously voiced fears that head teacher numbers in the area will be reduced, but a ‘frequently asked questions’ document produced by the council denies this.

Louise Connor, the council’s education manager for transformation, said: “The parameters we are working with are cost-neutral to the council’s budget and the education service’s budget.

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“But if the proposals are approved by the committee in the late autumn, we go out to consultation on the collectives. Cost neutral is what we are working towards.”

Jennifer Crocket, the council’s head of education for lifelong learning and support, added: “It is very important to note that the head of school would have a very similar remit in that they are the person meeting the children, their families and our communities.

“A good way to sum it up would be that the head of school will still be the person at the front gate, having an operational understanding with the management team on a day-to-day basis.”

Ms Crocket also addressed the feedback received by the council to date during the consultation, which started in November.

She said: “It would be fair to say we are confident that the consultation has given a broad range of opportunities to all stakeholders.

“It has been successful in that we are already getting a volume of feedback, from all parties, that we are in a position where we are collating views.”

The proposals can be viewed, and feedback submitted to the council, by visiting argyll-bute.gov.uk. The deadline for responses is March 4.