Buchanan and St Ambrose Independent Review: progress

9 August 2019

Dr Margaret Hannah and Paul Cackette submit their report to Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
Read the Buchanan and St Ambrose Independent Review report.

1 August 2019

The review team are continuing their work of evidence gathering, with a view to completing their report as quickly as they can.

We recognise the continued uncertainty for parents, pupils and staff at both schools, especially for those parents of pupils at feeder primary schools expecting to transition to schools at this site this summer. 

As members of the public may have seen, work has been undertaken on site over the summer – partly pre-planned work by North Lanarkshire Council and partly on the request of the review.

By way of update on progress, the review team are at an advance stage in their consideration and are aiming to publish their report on Friday 9 August.

This remains a provisional date as evidence gathering and analysis of results continue.

19 July 2019

Water and wider environmental sampling at St Ambrose High and Buchanan High has now taken place. 

The water sampling were carried out by Scottish Water and observed by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator. The environmental sampling was carried out by an independent environmental consultancy.

The review team continue to work with experts to establish the integrity of the methane membrane. The samples are undergoing testing and the results will be published as part of the report due ahead of the schools opening on 12 August.

4 July 2019

The review team announced that water and environment testing will be carried out at St Ambrose High and Buchanan High. 

Water testing will be carried out by Scottish Water. Wider environmental testing at the schools will include soil, water and the integrity of the methane membrane, installed as a safety measure when the campus was built. The specific detail and location of the testing will be determined by the review team in conjunction with SEPA and other environmental health bodies.  

27 June 2019

The team met pupils, parents and staff of both at St Ambrose High and Buchanan High, and also unions, to listen to and understand their concerns.

25 June 2019

The team met parents and the parent councils of both at St Ambrose High and Buchanan High to listen to and understand their concerns. 

20 June 2019

Dr Hannah and Mr Cackette visited the school campus and met the headteachers of Buchanan High and St Ambrose High schools. The independent review team also met public health experts from NHS Lanarkshire and representatives of North Lanarkshire Council. Paul Cackette today met Fulton MacGregor MSP and Alex Neil MSP.

The review has requested the relevant statutory bodies, including North Lanarkshire Council, NHS Lanarkshire, Health Protection Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Water and the Drinking Water Quality Regulator supply all information they hold in relation to the remit of the review by 25 June.