West Lothian Council is consulting on moving Bridgend, Philpstoun and Threemiletown out of the Linlithgow Academy catchment. We are asking the Council to listen to affected families and keep our children with their friends, schools and wider community.

We, the undersigned residents, parents, carers and supporters, call on West Lothian Council to reject the proposed change to the secondary-school catchment for Bridgend, Philpstoun and Threemiletown.

For many families living across the affected area, the Linlithgow Academy catchment was an important part of choosing where to make our homes and raise our children. Our children attend nurseries and primary schools where they have built close, long-standing friendships. Their wider social circles—including clubs, activities and family support networks—are also firmly established within the Linlithgow community.

For our children, this is much more than a boundary on a map. The proposed change could separate them from the friends and classmates with whom they have grown up, just as they make the important transition to secondary school.

Linlithgow Academy is a highly regarded part of the community, valued by families for its academic excellence, extensive extracurricular opportunities and close-knit community spirit. Many parents have planned their children’s educational journeys around the expectation that they would progress to the Academy alongside their friends.

We recognise that the Council must plan education provision responsibly. However, any decision of this scale must give full and genuine weight to the views of the families it affects and must follow a thorough, transparent and fair consultation process. The published proposal does not currently state when the change would begin or which children would be affected first.

We ask West Lothian Council to:

1. Retain the entire Bridgend Primary School catchment—including Bridgend, Philpstoun and Threemiletown—within the Linlithgow Academy catchment;

2. Fully consider the views submitted by affected families and publish how those views have shaped the final decision; and

3. Explore alternative solutions before altering these established catchment boundaries.

Please add your name to demonstrate the strength of local feeling and help protect our children’s friendships, educational continuity and established community ties.