Two Edinburgh schools are set to be renamed in hopes of reducing confusion and decreasing stigma towards pupils.
Officers have suggested new names for St Mary’s RC Primary School (Leith) and Gorgie Mills School, with councillors set to make a decision next Tuesday.
The Roman Catholic primary in Leith is set to become Star of the Sea RC Primary School, over ongoing issues with it being confused with St Mary’s RC Primary School, which is located in Canonmills.
According to a council report, both schools get post and deliveries for one another, as well as contractors turning up to perform works on the wrong school.
Further, both schools are often incorrectly contacted by government agencies, and parents will occasionally enroll their children at the wrong school.
It says: “While these issues individually may not seem overly problematic, when they happen as often as they do, the result is a considerable waste of staff time and can often have a direct impact on learning and teaching time.
“It also dilutes the sense of identity and individuality of each school.”
Both schools are attached to Catholic churches named St Mary’s, with the Canonmills school attached to St Mary’s cathedral and the Leith one linked to St Mary Star of the Sea parish church.
Meanwhile, Gorgie Mills School is set to become Westfield Secondary School, after a consultation with pupils, parents and staff.
Gorgie Mills School was formed in 2007 as a merger of three schools, and was launched to care for students with ‘social, emotional and behavioural’ needs.
But it has changed towards becoming a school for additional support needs pupils more generally.
The council report read: “Young people feel strongly that the current name carries with it negativity and stigmatism which they would like to eradicate.
“The school community believe that changing the name of the school will support in the re-branding of the school and emphasise the significant changes that have taken place in recent years.”
Votes were held among staff, pupils, parents and other groups at each school, with the majority of respondents at each approving of name changes.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
In the case of Gorgie Mills School I would argue that the name has carried with it negativity and stigmatism from the beginning. Did the people who named it know that Gorgie Mills spent most of its existence as a honking knackers’ yard and glue works?
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