Caol Primary Nursery and St Columba's Nursery closure decision: letter to Highland Council
Letter from Learning Directorate to Highland Council, with decision to merge school nurseries at Caol and St Columba's.
To: Kate Lackie, Assistant Chief Executive, Highland Council
From: Orlando Mason, Deputy Director, Workforce, Infrastructure and Digital Learning Directorate
13 August 2025
Dear Kate,
Schools (Consultation) (scotland) Act 2010: Highland Council – proposed merger of the school nurseries at Caol Primary School and St. Columba's Roman Catholic Primary School
I refer to Ian Jackson’s email of 27 June 2025 notifying Scottish Ministers of Highland Council’s decision of 26 June 2025 to implement the proposal to merge the school nurseries at Caol Primary School and St. Columba's Roman Catholic Primary School. Ministers have considered this proposal in line with the requirements set out in the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”).
Under section 17 of the 2010 Act, Ministers may only issue a call-in notice if it appears to them that the education authority may have failed:
(a) in a significant regard to comply with the requirements imposed on it by (or under) the
Act so far as they are relevant in relation to the closure proposal, or
(b) to take proper account of a material consideration relevant to its decision to implement
the proposal.
Section 15(2) of the 2010 Act requires an education authority to provide a copy of the proposal paper, and the consultation report prepared under the Act to Ministers when notifying them of a closure proposal.
Section 15(4) of the 2010 Act requires Ministers to take into account any relevant representations made to them by any person during the three week period from the date that a closure decision is made. In relation to this closure proposal, the three week period began on 26 June 2025 and expired on 16 July 2025. No representations were received.
Having reviewed the documents provided by Highland Council under section 15(2) and considered all relevant representations made under section 15(4), Ministers consider that Highland Council has fulfilled its obligations under the 2010 Act and do not intend to issue a call-in notice for this proposal.
Highland Council may now implement its decision to merge the school nurseries at Caol Primary School and St. Columba's Roman Catholic Primary School in line with the timescales set out in its proposal paper. As noted in Education Scotland’s report on the proposal, should work with all stakeholders to address uncertainties about important issues raised by stakeholders as a matter of priority. These include who has management responsibility of the new nursery, children’s uniform, the name of the nursery and potential uses for spaces previously used for St Columba’s nursery class.
Yours sincerely,
Orlando Mason
Deputy Director, Workforce, Infrastructure and Digital Learning Directorate
