St Margaret's Primary in Hawick closure consultation begins

Scottish Borders Council has started the process which could lead to the closure of one of the Roman Catholic primaries in the region.

Consultation on shutting St Margaret's in Hawick will run until 22 January.

A public meeting will be held in the school on 5 December to allow public feedback on the proposal.

An online questionnaire and documentation have been put online by the local authority for throughout the consultation process.

Carol Hamilton, the council's executive member for children and young people, said any closure decision was not "taken lightly".

'Learning opportunities'

"A recent review of our school estate provision across the Borders highlighted that St Margaret's has sustained a significant fall in the school roll over the past 20 years," she said.

"There are currently only 14 pupils attending the school, with only three admitted into primary one over the last three years and none for 2017/18.

"There are also concerns that such a small school roll limits our ability to offer the pupils a full range of curricular and learning opportunities, particularly in relation to requirements within the Curriculum for Excellence and for the development of team skills and group work with children of a similar age."

She asked anyone with an interest in the school to take part in the consultation so all views could be taken into account.