Inveravon Primary School permanently closed after no students enrolled in six years

A primary school in Moray has been permanently closed after no new pupils enrolled in the past six years.

Inveravon Primary, in Ballindalloch, has had no pupils since August 2017 and had since been mothballed.

A report to the education, children’s and leisure services committee in April recommended the school should shut for good.

Counsellors announced on Wednesday that the school would be permanently closed.

It comes after no parent enrolled their child at the primary in the last six years, instead deciding to move their children to either Knockando or Aberlour primaries – which are both around six and a half miles away from Inveravon.

In the previous term there were 13 pupils at the school, which has capacity for 50.

The school was mothballed when no children turned up for lessons after the summer holidays in 2017.

It would have cost £206,000 to bring the school back into use and up to a suitable condition.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, who also chairs the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, said: “We are grateful to everyone who gave their views at public meetings, by letter, during classroom discussions with pupils at their schools, and by way of the online survey.

“Considering the closure of a school is always difficult as we know how much they mean to our communities, families and young people across Moray.

“We must consider, however, what is best educationally for our young people in the Inveravon catchment area, both now and in the future, and we are satisfied this decision brings educational benefits.

“Most parents and children support the proposal to close the school and extending the catchment to the three neighbouring schools will offer maximum parental choice.”

The building was gifted to the local authority by Ballindalloch Estate more then 100 years ago.

Following the school’s closure, the building will be returned to the original owner, along with about a third of an acre of land the council bought to extend the site in 1926.