Easterfield School

We Asked

The Council proposed to discontinue education at Easterfield School, which had been mothballed since August 2021. The catchment area of the school was suggested to be re-assigned to either Auchterless School or Turriff Primary School.

To gather opinions on this proposal, a statutory consultation was conducted from 5th February to 29th March 2024, including a public meeting on 5th March 2024 at Turriff Primary School and an online survey. The consultation process also included discussions with pupils and staff from the affected schools.

You Said

Survey Results: Out of 17 survey participants, 65% supported the closure of Easterfield School and 65% preferred Option 1: realigning the Easterfield catchment area with Auchterless School.

Public Engagement: Despite advertising the public meeting, no members of the public attended. However, stakeholders shared their feedback through the survey and discussions with Education Scotland.

Pupil Feedback: Pupils from both Auchterless and Turriff Schools welcomed the proposal, identifying potential benefits and challenges of integrating Easterfield pupils into larger schools.

Staff Feedback: Most staff members supported closing Easterfield School and merging with Auchterless School.

We Will

The consultation findings, including feedback from surveys, discussions, and the Education Scotland report, were reviewed by Council officers.

The consultation report was presented at Formartine Area Committee on 11th June 2024, Education and Children’s Services Committee then considered the report on 29th August 2024 and the final decision on the proposal was made by Full Council on 26th September 2024. On 20th November 2024, Scottish Ministers upheld the Council’s decision to close Easterfield School and realign its catchment area to Auchterless School.

As of 25th November 2024, Easterfield School is permanently closed, with its catchment area officially realigned to Auchterless School to ensure the sustainability of rural education.