Update for parents and carers of children attending Dargavel ELCC
Updates to parents and carers of children attending Dargavel ELCC
On this page:
Information on expansion of Dargavel Early Learning and Childcare Centre - Friday 3 March 2023
Dear parent or carer,
This update is to inform you of proposed works at Dargavel Early Learning and Childcare Centre. This is part of our work to contribute to the expansion of nursery capacity within the Dargavel community.
We are converting an existing covered outdoor space to create an additional indoor playroom for children. A covered outdoor area will still be available for children, ensuring we continue to provide high-quality outdoor learning space.
The adaptation means we will be able to accommodate an additional 24 children at the nursery.
We expect work to start within the next few months and to be complete later this year. Disruption will be kept to a minimum and we will keep you updated on progress once a programme of works has been agreed.
Yours sincerely,
Julie Calder
Head of Education
Initial update from Steven Quinn, Director of Children's Services - 2 November 2022
I would like to update you on capacity at Dargavel Primary School, following a review of pupil numbers and the projected school roll in future years.
I am very sorry to advise you an error was made when determining pupil numbers for the new primary school in 2017.
The calculation used at the time identified the new school roll would not be more than 430 pupils. However, it became clear after a higher-than-expected number of admissions over this school year, the original projection would be significantly short of what will be required over future years.
We have contacted parents and carers at the primary school today to update them.
What happens next
The new projection identifies the need to support a peak of around 1,100 pupils as Dargavel village grows over the next decade.
We have carried out significant work to ensure this is as robust as possible and this has also been tested and benchmarked with other local authority projection models and similar family housing developments across Scotland.
To ensure we have space for everyone, we are immediately adding six temporary classrooms to the school site before the start of the August 2023 school term, within the school grounds.
The new temporary classrooms will be fully equipped modular units, and we will work with parents and carers to demonstrate the quality and flexibility of the space being created.
If your child will turn five between 1 March 2023 and 29 February 2024 and you wish them to attend Dargavel Primary School, you should complete the P1 registration process as normal.
I would like to assure you there will a space for your child at the school and we look forward to welcoming them.
The flexibility of general nursery provision means Dargavel Early Learning and Childcare Centre does not have the same pressures on demand as the primary school.
However, we will keep this under ongoing review and consider this as part of our planning for future school capacity. We are also updating parents and carers of children at the centre.
Over the next few months, we will be examining the options to find a longer-term permanent solution to increase primacy school capacity for Dargavel families. It is my intention to finalise those plans in spring next year.
How we will keep in touch
We will continue to update and listen to parents and carers at all stages and are committed to keeping you fully informed throughout.
We are maintaining a page on the council website with all the latest information and progress on Dargavel Primary School.
In the meantime, if you have any questions not answered by the information we have provided, a dedicated mailbox has been set up for any queries dargavelcs@renfrewshire.gov.uk which I hope is helpful.
Please once again accept my apologies for any concern this may have caused. We will work to keep you updated as plans progress.
Yours sincerely,
Steven Quinn
Director of Children's Services
Dargavel Primary School
