The Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee of Dumfries and Galloway Council convened on Tuesday, 9 September 2025, addressing a range of issues from school closures to budget monitoring and strategic planning. Councillors agreed to close St Ninian's RC Primary School and realign its catchment area with St Joseph's RC Primary School. The committee also discussed the allocation of additional funding for Additional Support for Learning (ASL), and the development of a strategic plan for rural education.

Here's a more detailed look at the key discussion points:

• School Closure: St Ninian's RC Primary School

  The committee voted to close St Ninian's RC Primary School, a mothballed school, and realign its catchment area to St Joseph's RC Primary School, following the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. The decision followed a statutory consultation, the content of which is available in the Statutory Consultation - St Ninians RC P.S Appendix document. The report from Education Scotland, included in the appendix, supported the closure, noting that most stakeholders agreed with the proposal, and that St Joseph's RC Primary School had the capacity to accommodate pupils from the area. The report also noted that the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 would be followed. The committee heard that all staff who were based at St Ninian's RC Primary School have been redeployed into appropriate positions. The decision will now be referred to Scottish Ministers, who have eight weeks to review it.

• Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Funding

  The committee reviewed the allocation of an additional £718,000 in ring-fenced revenue funding from the Scottish Government for ASL[^2] for 2025/26. The funding has been applied to support increased investment in ASL, including £83,000 to secure the existing Principal Teacher Supporting Learners post, and the balance (£634,535) to contribute to the financial pressure because of the increase of children and young people with ASN, specifically those at Stage 3 and 4 of the Stages of Intervention framework. The committee agreed to receive bi-annual data on incidents of violence in schools as part of the 6 monthly performance report.

  [^2]: Additional Support for Learning (ASL) is a framework in Scotland to help children and young people who need extra support in school.

• Strategic Rural Education Plan

  The committee considered a report on developing a strategic rural education plan, noting that 62% of schools in Dumfries and Galloway are classified as 'accessible rural' or 'remote rural'. The report set out the current approach to a rural education estate strategy, developing leadership and professional capacity in rural schools, and curricular links with rural education. The committee agreed that further detail should be included within the Learning Estate Strategy update, to be brought to the November meeting of this Committee, which would clearly reference considerations around rural school provision. The committee were asked to consider if further areas should be added within the definition of Rural Education, as set out in section 4 of the Considerations for a Strategic Rural Education Plan 1 document.

• Revenue Budget Monitoring

  The committee noted that the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Directorate is forecast to breakeven at the end of the financial year 2025/26. The committee reviewed the budget realignment that has been undertaken with the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Management Team to ensure that the budgets reflected for each service function represent planned income and expenditure levels for the year ahead. The committee also noted progress against the delivery of agreed savings applied to the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Directorate budget in 2025/26, as detailed in the ESCW Q1 Revenue Budget 202526 Appendix 2 document.

• Tackling Antisocial Behaviour

  The committee noted the Community Safety Team performance information for 2024 to 2025, the corporate contribution to the Antisocial Behaviour Workplan 2024 to 2025, and agreed the Dumfries and Galloway Antisocial Behaviour Workplan 2025 to 2026.

• Community Learning and Development Partners' Plan

  The committee noted the recommendations stemming from the National Independent Review of Community Learning and Development, the new national Community Learning and Development Indicators and Outcomes, the Community Learning and Development Progress Visit report for Dumfries and Galloway, the findings from the Community Learning and Development Plan surveys, the findings of the Equalities Impact Assessment, the Community Learning and Development Evaluative Report for 2021-2024, and the new Community Learning and Development Plan for 2025-2027.

• Surplus Property

  The committee agreed that Hutton Primary School was surplus to requirements.

• Outside Bodies

  The committee noted the information detailed in the appendices as part of the 2024-25 Annual Review of Outside Bodies. They agreed to appoint George Jamieson to the Local Employability and Skills Partnership and retain Maureen Johnstone as substitute. They also agreed to appoint Kim Lowe to the Dumfriesshire Educational Trust, leaving two vacancies, and retain Richard Brodie, Paula Stevenson and Carolyne Wilson, noting that should Jim Dempster not retain his appointment via Nithsdale Area Committee at its meeting of 10 September 2025 he will fill one of the two vacancies. Finally, they agreed that Maureen Johnstone and Lynne Davis (Substitute) remain appointed to the Dumfries and Galloway Regionwide Community Fund Management Committee.

• Dumfries Ice Bowl

  The committee noted the current position with the Dumfries Ice Bowl, and that the Service will continue discussions to explore other opportunities. They agreed to receive a further update report at the November meeting of this Committee.