Grange Academy, Kilmarnock
Capacity concerns
### Capacity concerns

Despite being a recent educational investment and new programme for building undertaken by East Ayrshire Council, in 2021 there were reports of Grange Academy and the wider Grange Campus being overcrowded and operating above the agreed capacity of students. Pupils in Annanhill Primary, also located within the Grange Campus, have claimed they feel unsafe, with claims of primary pupils having to share toilets with those attending the secondary school (Grange Academy). Due to the overcrowding, pupils from Annanhill Primary had to be taught in four classrooms housed in Grange Academy, meaning they also had to share other facilities such as toilet accommodations. In order to address concerns, East Ayrshire Council, the local authority in charge of the schools operations, have limited the pupil intake at Annanhill Primary in 2021 to address overcrowding and over capacity concerns, and also approved plans for the construction of two new modular classrooms for Annanhill Primary School. The overall Grange campus has a capacity of 1,860 pupils, but in 2021 there were 1,953 pupils across the campus. Annanhill Primary has capacity for 459 pupils but the school had 526 in 2021\.

A spokesperson for East Ayrshire Council addressed the issue, saying "The School Estate Management Plan (SEMP) has highlighted capacity issues within Grange Academy on an annual basis over a number of years, and it would be prudent to consider a more sustainable option, that safeguards the campus occupancy levels in the longer term."


Why were pupils from Annanhill Primary having to be taught in four classrooms housed in Grange Academy?