Decision details

(i)       to request that officers circulate information to Members outwith the meeting on the list of projects in the Condition & Suitability programme which had led to improvements being made at St Joseph’s School and Holy Family School since 2016;

(ii)       to note the content of the report;

(iii)      to regret the lack of a proper and open consultation with all the people of Aberdeen on the possibility of establishing a Catholic Secondary School in Aberdeen;

(iv)      to welcome the pause in recommending any changes to the Roman Catholic school estate;

(v)      to agree to recommend to Full Council that it establish a working group consisting of representatives from Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, representatives from the Catholic Church, parent representatives and staff representatives. This group would work in a spirit of cooperation and partnership to explore what is an appropriate level of provision of Catholic schools in the city and produce a costed plan as to how this level of provision might be realised;

(vi)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to continue to monitor pupil numbers at all three primary schools and report back on this and the findings of the above working group to the Education and Children’s Services Committee in September 2025;

(vii)     to decide to take the opportunity provided by this pause to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to engage with all the people of Aberdeen on the possibility of establishing a Catholic secondary school in the city; and

(viii)    to agree that the pause proposed in the paper would in no way delay the urgently needed work to provide for the refurbishment of St. Peter’s School.

Following the vote, the matter was referred to Full Council for a decision under Standing Order 34.1.