Education chiefs are scrambling to change pupil catchment areas in Hamilton because a primary school is on course to significantly exceed its capacity in the coming years.
St Mary’s Primary already has 451 pupils on its roll – against a stated capacity of 450 based on its 15 classrooms – and this is projected to climb even higher due to housing developments.
This has prompted South Lanarkshire Council’s education department to take action in order to “better balance pupils numbers”.
It is now being proposed that changes are made to catchment areas for four Hamilton denominational primary schools: St Mary’s, St Paul’s, St Peters, and Our Lady and St Anne’s.
A report outlining the proposals will be presented to councillors at the council’s executive committee on June 24.
Lyndsay McRoberts, executive director of education resources, warns that the overspill of pupils at St Mary’s and imbalance in pupil numbers at all four schools is set to worsen considerably as new housing developments come online.
She wrote: “Trends based on the average of the last three years’ P1 intake figures (at St Mary’s) suggest the mainstream roll will reach 469 in August 2028.
“In addition, after August 2028, there are a further 23 pupils projected to be generated from future housing developments within the St Mary’s catchment area.
“This means that the projected roll is expected to be 481 by August 2030 and post-2030 to rise to 527 if all known housing developments are completed.”
A major driver of the pressure is a large new housing development planned for the site of the former University of the West of Scotland campus, which falls within St Mary’s catchment area.
To ease the pressure, the council is proposing to rezone part of St Mary’s catchment area to neighbouring St Paul’s, which currently has significant spare capacity — a roll of 145 against a capacity of 180.
The areas proposed for re-zoning include streets such as Bothwell Road, Douglas Street, Caird Street and Hamilton Park North, among others.
Two further changes are also proposed to simplify catchment arrangements elsewhere in Hamilton. An optional catchment area currently allowing families to choose between St Mary’s and St Peter’s Primary would be removed. This area would be aligned solely to St Peter’s — reflecting the fact that 66 per cent of families in that area have chosen St Peter’s over the past two school sessions.
A similar change is proposed for an area currently shared between St Peter’s and Our Lady and St Anne’s Primary, which would be aligned fully to Our Lady and St Anne’s.
If approved, the council will carry out a full statutory consultation, including public meetings with affected communities, before any changes are implemented.
Should the proposals proceed, any new catchment boundaries would take effect for P1 enrolment in January 2027, ahead of the 2027/28 school session.
Families with older children already attending the affected schools would retain the right to have younger siblings placed in the same school, regardless of any catchment changes.
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