We are calling on Renfrewshire Council to fully reconsider its approach to the future of Trinity High School and to demonstrate that every reasonable option has been properly explored before committing to relocating the school to a new site.

A school is not simply a building. It is the heart of a community.

Trinity High School is more than somewhere children attend lessons. It is a place where friendships are formed, confidence is built, relationships develop and children feel they belong. It is a community within its own right, with a strong identity and connections that extend well beyond the school gates.

Moving Trinity is not simply a case of transferring pupils from one building to another. It means potentially dismantling an established school community and changing the identity and character of an area that has grown around it.

We recognise that school buildings need investment and that children deserve modern, safe and suitable learning environments. However, the question that needs to be asked is whether relocating the school is genuinely the only reasonable solution, or whether sufficient consideration has been given to investing in and improving the existing school and its facilities.

The council must demonstrate transparently why investment in the existing site is not a viable alternative. This should include detailed comparisons of refurbishment, modernisation, extensions where feasible and relocation, including the financial, educational and community consequences of each option.

There are also significant unanswered questions about the proposed impact on Renfrew High School.

If Trinity moves to the King George V playing fields, what exactly will the future arrangement look like? Can Renfrew High accommodate the additional demands of a shared campus? Has the council properly considered the possibility that parents may choose to send their children to the school closest to their home, rather than the school they would otherwise have attended?

What would happen if pupil numbers, parental preferences and catchment arrangements resulted in pressure on available places? Would pupils be divided between schools? Would existing school structures, staffing arrangements, management teams and support services need to change?

What are the implications for teachers and support staff? Have their views been properly considered? What would this mean for staff roles, working environments, relationships with pupils and the continuity of education?

These are fundamental questions, not details that can be dealt with once a location has been chosen.

We also need to consider the wider consequences of moving Trinity away from its established community. What would be the impact on local families, transport arrangements, journey times, road safety, associated primary schools and the wider Renfrew community?

If a school is moved to another area, the impact is not confined to the school itself. It affects the people who depend on it, the local community that supports it and the relationships that have been built over many years.

We are concerned that the discussion risks becoming too focused on identifying suitable land and delivering a new building, without giving equal consideration to the wider educational, social and community consequences of relocation.

A new building may provide modern facilities, but modern facilities alone do not recreate the sense of belonging, identity and community that an established school provides.

We therefore call on Renfrewshire Council to:

Provide a transparent and independently evidenced assessment explaining why the existing Trinity High School site cannot be suitably improved or modernised.
Publish a full comparison of the costs, benefits and long-term consequences of refurbishment, redevelopment and relocation.
Provide up-to-date pupil capacity figures, projected rolls and detailed modelling for Renfrew High School and Trinity High School.
Explain how a potential shared campus would operate in practice and how the individual identities, management, staffing and educational needs of both schools would be protected.
Fully assess the impact on pupils, parents, teachers, support staff and associated primary schools.
Consider the impact on transport, accessibility, road safety and families who may face significantly different journeys.
Undertake a proper assessment of the social and community impact of moving Trinity away from its established location.
Ensure that pupils, parents, staff and the wider community have meaningful involvement in the decision-making process before any preferred option is approved.
This is not opposition to investment in education. It is a call for investment to be considered properly, fairly and with the interests of children and communities at its heart.

We want children to have the best possible learning environment, but we also want decision-makers to recognise that education is about more than bricks, mortar and capacity figures.

Trinity is a school, a community and a part of Renfrew's identity.

Before deciding where to build a new school, the council must demonstrate that it has fully considered what will be lost by moving the existing one.

Our children deserve more than a new building. They deserve a future that protects their education, their relationships and their sense of belonging.

Save Trinity High School. Protect its community. Give the people who depend on it a genuine voice in its future.

The closure or significant alteration of Trinity would not only disrupt the education of our current and future students but would also fragment the community spirit that this school fosters so beautifully. Many alumni and parents have shared stories of how Trinity has impacted their lives positively, helping launch successful careers and lifelong friendships.

Renfrewshire Council and the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board must realize that the future of Renfrew's children heavily relies on Trinity High School remaining at its core. Instead of making cuts, investing in Trinity to adapt to modern educational needs and techniques would reap long-term benefits for the entire community.

We call upon the Renfrewshire Council and all relevant stakeholders to consider the profound impact Trinity High School has on our community. Preserving Trinity means preserving the spirit and future of Renfrew.

Sign this petition to make sure Trinity High School remains the vibrant educational cornerstone it has always been. Let's protect our community's legacy for generations to come.