‘Capacity’ issues at two schools in East Renfrewshire to be addressed

A new games court is planned at Crookfur Primary and a “dining pod” at Eastwood High to address “capacity” issues at both schools.

East Renfrewshire Council will use contributions from developers to fund the works, with £122,000 required to be used or committed by late October this year.

The council recently placed on hold a proposed four-classroom extension to Crookfur Primary as “forecast pupil numbers are potentially in keeping with current capacity”.

However, officials have reported the school “remains under pressure due to the significant increase in the school roll, its multi-purpose dining and gym hall and the topography of the school playground”.

Based on September 2022 rolls, Crookfur Primary had occupancy levels of 99% and data for 2023/24 indicates it remains at this level, officials added.

A hard games court is set to be created on “the site of the recently demolished Style Academy within the school’s grounds”, the report stated. It will include basketball nets and “appropriate fencing”.

At Eastwood High, occupancy levels increased to 102% according to 2023/24 data and further increases are “expected over the next couple of school sessions”.

The school has a capacity of 1220 but dining capacity for just 279, which is “already considerably smaller per pupil than other high schools”, the council report stated.

The dining pod will be a “freestanding structure at the rear exit of the current canteen”, accessed by a covered walkway linking it to the existing dining space. It will be fully enclosed, double glazed with toughened glass and have heating and LED lighting.

In the report, council officials added: “The rationale for expediting this spend is both to ensure development contributions are not lost to the council, and also to urgently mitigate the capacity issues these schools are facing.”

They stated due to the “imminent need” to progress the projects, approval was sought from council leader Owen O’Donnell and Cllr Andrew Anderson, the education convener, last month.

Details of the plans will go before the council’s cabinet on August 15.

Financial contributions from developers can be sought for improvements in education infrastructure and are “allocated for use solely within the catchment area where the development giving rise to the issue is located”.

They must be spent or committed within 10 years of receipt of the final payment or they need to be returned to the developer. East Renfrewshire has £122,000 for use by the education department in Crookfur and Eastwood which must be spent or committed by October 30.