St Pius X RC Primary School and Nursery Proposed Closure

St Pius X RC Primary School and Nursery could close at the end of the school year 2025/26. 

The Children, Families and Communities Committee will be asked to approve the closure of the school and nursery, and rezone the catchment area of St Francis RC Primary School to include the existing St Pius X RC Primary School catchment area. 

The St Pius X RC Primary pupil roll is in decline. The school has a capacity of 242 pupils. In September 2019, the school roll was 195. The school roll at the September 2024 census was 162, this equates to an occupancy level of 67%. The current estimated roll for August 2025 is 153.  

Except for the Council’s Edwardian and Victorian primary schools, the St Pius X RC Primary building is now one of the oldest schools, built post-1970. Maintaining appropriate levels of condition and suitability may require significant financial investment. 

Therefore, the committee will be asked to approve the closure of the school and nursery, and rezone the St Francis RC Primary catchment area.  

The council ran a consultation from January 6- February 19 where feedback was gathered from key stakeholders, including staff, pupils and parents/carers.  

In response to the feedback, it is proposed that a closed contract bus service will be provided to all children currently attending St Pius X RC Primary who chose to continue their primary education at St Francis Primary School. 

In addition, the council would commit to working in partnership with representatives of the Diocese of Dunkeld to ensure that religious education provision (delivered by a church approved teacher) will be available at Claypotts Castle Primary. 

This would be supported by a strategic group including Church representatives, senior officers of the Children and Families Service and Head Teachers which has been set up and has already had an initial meeting to agree how to take this work forward. 

The committee will hear that the closure of St Pius X RC School and nursery would result in a reduction in revenue expenditure of £677,422, in a full financial year, with a part-year saving of £423,389 in the financial year 2026/7. 

The Committee will meet on Monday 23^rd June.