Technical Notes 2022, Issue 113 - New ASN School – naming process

1. The purpose of this technical note is to provide all Elected Members with the process of choosing a name for the new ASN School in Kirkintilloch.
    
2. When there is a new school or a merger of schools, we require to provide the school with a new name.  There is an Education Procedure Manual, Naming of Schools 3/32 that we follow for the naming of schools.  I have listed the main points for this process below:
3. 1. Chief Education Officer writes to the Interim Parent Council to discuss and propose 4 potential names
   2. Interim Parent Council canvas their members, parents, school staff and pupils to suggest names
   3. Interim Parent Council then provide Education with 4 potential names with a short narrative on why each have been chosen
   4. Education provide Elected Members the information from point c.
   5. Education then create a survey, asking all key stakeholders to choose their preference for the name
   6. Interim Parent Council then consider the preferred name
   7. Education provide Elected Members the preferred name that has been chosen
   8. Chief Education Officer then submits a report to the Education Committee for approval of chosen name.

3. We are currently at point d., where we are providing the Elected Members with the 4 potential names.  Normally this is provided to the Elected Members who are in the ward of the school.  However, this is needed to go to all Elected Members as the school covers the full area of East Dunbartonshire.

4. The 4 names that have been chosen by the Interim Parent Council are:
    
5. 1. Antonine School

Chosen as a name that represented the whole of the authority due to the Antonine Wall running from Bearsden all the way through East Dunbartonshire to Twechar.  The link to the wall and the influence of Romans across East Dunbartonshire through naming of roads and streets, as well as access to Roman relics, meant this name could mean something to all the children and young people.  The forts on the wall range from the most westerly point of EDC at Castlehill through to Bar Hill near Twechar, meaning all learners, and learner families are able to identify with this name.

1. 2. Collier’s Brae School

Chosen as a name that represented the mining history of the local area, as well as across the wider authority.  Again, mining existed from Baljaffray and Bonnaughton in the west of East Dunbartonshire to Twechar in the east.  The location of the school, itself, is in close proximity to a former mining village.

1. 3. Woodland View School

Chosen as a name that represents the wide range of diverse woodland in the local authority.  Other names, which were tree related, were also considered, but it was felt that this represented the whole authority, and also the view of a number of woodland areas that can be seen from the site.

1. 4. Kelvin Valley School

Chosen as a name that includes the Kelvin – one of the tributaries of the River Clyde which provides a border between East Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire, then East Dunbartonshire and Glasgow.  The river flows from Kirkintilloch through to Milngavie and Bearsden.  The Luggie Water, which runs alongside the new school, feeds into the Kelvin.  Again, it is a name that is familiar to children, young people and their families.

5. The next stage is now for Education to create the survey and send out to the stakeholders for them to choose their preference out of the 4 names.  Stakeholders include: Elected Members, Staff of both Campsie View & Merkland schools, families of the pupils at Campsie View & Merkland and the Waterside Community Council.  This is proposed to be sent to stakeholders w/c 22 August 2022 with a time limit for response to be received for 5 September 2022.
    
6. Once we have the results from the survey of the 4 proposed names, I will provide another technical note advising of the results, then proceed to a report for the Education Committee for approval on the name choice.  Next available Education Committee will be 6 October 2022.