The proposal by East Renfrewshire Council's Education Department to reclassify pupils at Carolside Primary School has raised considerable concern among parents. This reclassification will
mix current primary 3 and 4 classes, increase class sizes to 32, and create a composite primary 4/5 class for 2026/27.

Mixing classes and increasing class sizes can have significant impacts on the quality of education. Studies indicate that smaller class sizes contribute to more individualised attention from teachers, higher student engagement, and improved academic performance. Implementing a composite class, where teachers must address the curriculum for two different year groups simultaneously, may dilute the focus and attention each child receives.

Furthermore, the decision to reclassify without proper parental engagement disregards the value of parent-teacher collaboration, a fundamental pillar in fostering successful educational outcomes. Parents offer essential insights on their children’s needs, learning styles, and challenges, which should be a centrepiece in reviewing educational plans and strategies. 

The decision appears to be driven by cost savings rather than improving educational outcomes for children as the teaching resource given to the school means the Head Teacher needs to redistribute a teacher away from mainstream to the Communication Support Service (CSS) in 2026/27. The Council could choose to provide enough resource for an additional teacher in the CSS and maintain the number of mainstream classes, which would avoid the need for reclassification. 

It has not been the norm to push up class sizes to the statutory maximums at other schools in East Renfrewshire, so why now at Carolside? Will composite class arrangements be for one year or through to Primary 7? Limited information and a lack of consultation from the Council means parents have a lot of unanswered questions. 

We strongly urge the Director of Education at East Renfrewshire Council to engage in open, transparent dialogue with parents at a community meeting at the school and evaluate the full implications of these changes before new classes are announced at the beginning of June.

Please sign this petition to show your support for meaningful parental involvement through East Renfrewshire Council engaging directly with our school community.