Concerns have been raised by some parents about a consultation over changing school catchment  

A public meeting takes place in Bridgend primary on Monday evening. The consultation started last month, and parents and carers have until next month to make their views known. 

One dad said the prospect of sending his children to  Winchburgh Academy instead of Linlithgow Academy claimed the plan would hit “children’s friendship groups.” 

Richard Nicol told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This is much more than an administrative adjustment to a boundary. It would remove established communities from their long-standing secondary-school catchment and affect children’s friendship groups, sibling pathways, family arrangements, travel requirements and connections with Linlithgow. 

He added: “My two sons attend Low Port Primary School, having secured their places while we lived within its catchment, and my eldest is due to begin secondary school in August 2028.  

“Our daughter is due to start primary school in August 2027 and will require an out-of-catchment place to follow her brothers to Low Port. Like many affected families, our children’s education, friendships and community life have been organised around an established pathway into Linlithgow Academy.” 

Linlithgow Councillor Tom Conn first questioned the consultation process when it was announced in June. Education officials stressed at the time that it had been driven by parental requests. 

At that meeting in June Andrew Cotton, a senior education planning officer with the council said: “There has been a stated community desire from some parents in Threemiletown and Bridgend to include the area within the Winchburgh Academy catchment.” 

 “The statutory consultation will allow the council to understand if this desire is shared by a majority of parents across the catchment.”  

There are 187 children in the area currently attending West Lothian schools. 

While rural communities east of Linlithgow including Bridgend and Threemiletown have long been in the ancient burgh’s catchment area, the new Winchburgh Academy is a mile closer than the Linlithgow high school. 

The new school is part of a £60m education and sports campus built in the rapidly growing village. 

The school presented its first class for national qualifications this year. 

Linlithgow Academy on the western side of the town is on a cramped site and is a dated 1970s building.  

In its favour is a long-established record of academic success. It is one of three West Lothian schools which were continually in the top 50 schools in Scotland over the past five years, along with St Margaret’s Academy and The James Young High School in Livingston. In the 24/25-year Linlithgow ranked at No 7 in Scotland. 

A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “A number of parents/carers in the Threemiletown and Bridgend area have expressed a community desire to include the area within the Winchburgh Academy catchment.  

“The proposal aligns secondary catchments with the successful education links between Bridgend Primary School and Winchburgh Primary School including the joint headship and activities across the two school communities.  

“A consultation was launched to hear the views of the wider school community, to see if this desire is shared by a majority of parents/carers. No decision has been made as yet, and to take part in the consultation, please visit www.westlothian.gov.uk/schoolconsultations.  

“Parents/carers can apply for a place at a non-catchment school, which will be considered in line with our Placing in Schools guidelines.” 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter