Decision

(i)       to note that officers would circulate the Condition and Suitability report presented to the Finance and Resources Committee in August 2026 to Members for information;

(ii)       to note the updates to the Action Plan which were provided at Appendix A of the report, and approve the removal of Priorities AG2 and C2 from the Action Plan, noting C2 - Culter Primary was also included under the Victorian Schools programme;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to continue to implement the School Estate Plan in accordance with the updated Long Term Programme with the changes outlined in (iv) to (x);

(iv)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to keep C1 Cults Academy in the School Estates plan as under review due to the continued level of family-housebuilding in the catchment area;

(v)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to engage with the people of Aberdeen on the possibility of establishing a Catholic secondary school in the city;

(vi)      to note that the outline business case for the Northfield Community campus which was shared with Elected Members in advance of the 2026/27 budget, was not shared with lay members of the Education and Children’s Services Committee and none of the details beyond the headline were shared with the community and parents of Northfield Academy and the six impacted primary schools after the budget decision in March 2026;

(vii)     to note the outline business case acknowledged at the March 2026 Budget meeting, proposed the preferred option of the SNP/Liberal Democrat Administration as closing both primary schools in Mastrick and Bramble Brae and relocating them to a new community campus on the current Northfield Academy, and instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to ensure that the preferred option was clear to parents and stakeholders in the stakeholder engagement on the proposed new campus which was expected to be carried out this Autumn/Winter, so they were able to make an informed decision when responding to the engagement;

(viii)    to note the concerns of the community of Bucksburn, regarding the proposed loss of the Beacon Community Centre during the daytime to meet the statutory needs of the increased roll of Bucksburn Academy, and to note with concern that the additional needs of the school for physical activity were not addressed during the planning process for the new permanent extension and agree that the Council was committed to maintaining use of this vital resource by the community.  Therefore to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to find a solution that met the statutory requirements of the school and maintained access to the community during the day;

(ix)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to proceed with a formal statutory consultation in Winter/Spring 2027, in conjunction with Aberdeenshire Council, on the proposed changes to catchment areas for Dyce Academy, Bucksburn Academy, Dyce School and Stoneywood School as outlined within the report, and to report back to the Committee on the outcomes of the consultation following its completion; and

(x)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to proceed with a formal statutory consultation in Spring/Summer 2027 on the proposed establishment of a new school to serve the Newhills Development Framework area, and on the proposed changes to the Brimmond School catchment area as outlined within the report, and to report back to the Committee on the outcomes following its completion.

Following the vote, the Convener referred the report to the Finance and Resources Committee in terms of Standing Order 34.1