Officials have appointed a new head teacher for Lochpots Primary School in Fraserburgh.
Lochpots had been sharing a head teacher with nearby Fraserburgh North since January.
After concerns that the arrangement might be permanent, community pressure convinced the council that each school needed its own leader.
The new head teacher’s name will be revealed as soon as interviewees are notified.
The interview process wrapped up on Friday afternoon.
Local councillor Brian Topping said that this is the best situation for the students and staff at both schools and an example of a community making their voices heard.
Lochpots head teacher is a win-win
In March, community members were disappointed to learn Lochpots and Fraserburgh North might share a head teacher permanently.
But the council did an about-face and opted to advertise the Lochpots head teacher position. Now, Mr Topping said the school will have its new leader announced very soon.
Speaking after the conclusion of interviews on Friday, Mr Topping said he was delighted with the outcome.
“It’s good news for Lochpots, and for the staff. The school can move forward. And North benefits as well because they’ve kept an excellent head teacher to themselves.
“The parent council and teachers and staff who made their views very clearly known.”
Sticky situation avoided
Although there is less than a mile between the two Fraserburgh schools, parents felt the schools were too big to share a head teacher.
There are 93 pupils at Fraserburgh North and 197 at Lochpots.
Mr Topping said that staff members at Lochpots were deflated when they thought they might have a shared head teacher permanently.
“With the best will in the world, with the best head teacher in the world: If you’re at one school you can’t be at the other school.”
He said that Aberdeenshire Council will make an official announcement naming the appointment soon, once all interviewees are notified.
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