Changes are proposed for some Hamilton primary school catchment areas

The council says the existing catchment arrangements no longer reflect changes in housing, population growth and planned residential developments.

A public consultation on proposed changes to the catchment areas of four primary schools in Hamilton has been approved by councillors.

At the Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday (June 24), councillors agreed to begin the statutory consultation process on plans aimed at balancing pupil numbers across St Mary’s Primary, St Paul’s Primary, St Peter’s Primary and Our Lady and St Anne’s Primary.

The council says the existing catchment arrangements no longer reflect changes in housing, population growth and planned residential developments, with St Mary’s Primary in particular facing increasing pressure on capacity.

The school currently has 451 pupils despite having a planned capacity of 450, with projections suggesting its roll could rise to more than 520 if all known housing developments within its catchment are completed.

Under the proposals, part of St Mary’s catchment would be transferred to St Paul’s Primary School, including the site of the proposed redevelopment of the former University of the West of Scotland campus. Around 350 new homes are expected to be built there, potentially generating around 34 additional denominational primary pupils.

Several existing residential areas would also move into the St Paul’s catchment, including parts of Bothwell Road, Arthur Street, Hamilton Park and The Furlongs development.

The report states that St Paul’s has sufficient capacity to accommodate both existing pupils from the proposed rezoned area and those expected from future housing developments.

The council is also proposing to remove two long-standing “optional catchment” areas where families have been able to choose between two Catholic primary schools.

One proposal would permanently assign an area currently shared between St Mary’s and St Peter’s Primary to St Peter’s. Council figures show around two-thirds of families in that area have already chosen St Peter’s over the past two school sessions.

The second proposal would remove the option between St Peter’s and Out Lady and St Anne’s Primary, assigning the area permanently to Our Lady and St Anne’s. Around 70 per cent of families in the area have already opted for Our Lady and St Anne’s in recent years.

Council officers say the changes would make better use of available school capacity while easing pressure on St Mary’s and providing greater certainty over future school planning.

If the proposals are approved following consultation, the new catchment arrangements would apply to children enrolling in primary one for the 2027/28 academic year.

The council has confirmed that children already attending any of the affected schools will be able to remain there. Families with younger siblings enrolling between 2027 and 2032 will also be able to choose to send them to the same school, regardless of any catchment changes.

As part of the statutory consultation process, public meetings will be held to allow parents, residents and other stakeholders to give their views before any final decision is made.

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